“Rather depend on your bank-book, wouldn’t it?” Somehow Bill’s casualness was almost like a blow. “You see the trouble with us as a family is that we haven’t a bob.”
Mame was fully informed of that. But why not get around and collect a few? She put the question frankly. To Bill, however, it had the merit of being new. It had simply never occurred to him.
“Why not?” In Mame’s voice was a certain sternness.
“Haven’t the savvee for one thing.” Bill spoke lightly and easily. “Enormous brains you must have these days to hustle around. Vi is the only one of us with any mind at all. If she had been a man I believe she might have kept the Towers going. But it would have needed doing, you know. That place swallows money. Not a penny less than ten thousand a year would have been a bit of use.”
“I’ll say not. But isn’t it worth while, don’t you think, to take off your coat and go around and see if you can raise it?”
Bill began to whistle merrily. His sense of humour was sharply touched. “See me raising ten thousand a year with this old think-box. I’m the utterest ass that ever happened. Why, I can’t even tot up a row of figures.”
“I guess I’d learn. If my folks had had the Towers for five hundred years, do you suppose I’d let people like the Childwicks come along and take it off me?”
“No, I guess you wouldn’t.” Bill gazed in admiration at the determined face.
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
To that forcible question Bill seemed quite unable to find an answer. Mame did not disguise that an answer was called for. “Your Mommer says that if you marry me you’ll have to quit the Pinks.”