“How much do you want?,” said Eric.
“Well, how much can you spare? You want to make a success of this, don’t you? If there’s a question of their wanting money to marry on, capital to start in business, you know, you could supply it? You must have made a great deal the last few years; and you wouldn’t like Miss Maitland to go short. Can I leave the question in your hands?”
Eric felt an insane impulse to laugh, but O’Rane’s face was serious.
“I hardly feel—,” he began.
“But you’re going to do everything in your power to make it a success! They must have money, and I understand the judge is rather a screw. By the way, we shall have to put some pressure on him. He’s got a great opinion of you, Eric. I met him at dinner the other night, and he was talking very warmly about you. You will have to do some propaganda for Gaymer. And then we must find regular work... Can you manage five hundred a year for a few years?”
As Eric hesitated in bewilderment, Gaymer intervened.
“We needn’t discuss this,” he said.
“If you don’t take it, I’ll see that your wife does,” said O’Rane. “You could manage that, Eric?”
“I could.”
“Then you will?”