Cocky chuckled feebly. He knew what his brother-in-law meant.
“We can’t bleed Billy every day,” he murmured in an explanatory tone.
“You seem to think you can bleed your father and myself whenever you please,” said Hurstmanceaux in his most incisive tones.
“Lord, what else is one’s family for?” said Cocky candidly.
His wife looked with impatience at the clock, for she had appointments which were agreeable.
“Really, I think we’ve told you everything,” she said to her brother. “It is not nice of you to insult us in our troubles, but I am sure you mean to help us in the end, don’t you, Ronnie?”
“I am extremely sorry,” said Hurstmanceaux. “But it is wholly out of my power to help you this time. Your debts are enormous. The only possible chance for you is to give up London life, and life in the world altogether, and go and retrench in the country. Why not at Black Hazel? It would be admirable for the children; and your creditors, if they knew you were really economizing, could probably be induced to wait. I see no other prospect possible.”
“Don’t be a fool, Ronald,” said his sister curtly, throwing her handkerchief rolled in a ball to the dogs.
Her husband stared through his eye-glass. “Ah—er—I thought you would make some practical suggestion; something feasible, you know!”
Hurstmanceaux frowned.