"I am not even to be allowed to work for my mother, then?" said Geoffrey.
"At your age it will be as much as you can do to work for yourself," said the old man. "And as yet, you cannot even do that directly. You must go on with your education. I have found a school in the country where you will be well taught, and where you will not be annoyed by not being able to have all that your companions have, as you have so complained about."
"And who is to pay for my schooling?" asked the boy.
"I," replied Mr. Byrne.
"Thank you," said Geoffrey. His tone was not exactly disrespectful, but it was certainly not grateful. "I know I should thank you, but I don't want you to pay schooling or anything else for me. I shall manage for myself. It is much best for me to go away altogether. Even—even if this about our money hadn't happened, I was already making up my mind to it."
Mr. Byrne looked at him.
"Legally speaking, your mother could stop your leaving her," he said.
"She is not likely to do so," replied the boy, "if she is so ill that she cannot even see me."
"Perhaps not," said the old gentleman. "I will send my servant to you at mid-day, to say how your mother is."
"Thank you," said Geoffrey again.