MARY. Only once—when I left home; he disapproved, too.
OLLIVANT. Had an older brother's feeling of wanting to take care of you, Mary.
MARY. Yes; I know. How's he doing?
OLLIVANT. He's commencing to get on his feet. Takes time and money for any one to get started these days.
MARY. But he's still in partnership with Bert Taylor, isn't he?
OLLIVANT. Yes. He'd have been somewhere if he'd worked in with me as I did with my father. Things should be handed down. Offered him the chance, tried to make him take it, as your mother knows; but that college chum—nice enough fellow, I've heard—turned his head another way. [Lighting his pipe and puffing slowly.] It's best to humor a young fellow's ideas if he sticks them out, but I'd like to have had us all here together now. The place is big enough even if he should want to marry. Your mother and I came here, you know, when your grandfather was still alive.
MARY. Then Ben isn't making any money?
OLLIVANT. [Reluctantly.] Not yet—to speak of.
EMILY. [Quietly.] But he's promised to pay his father back, Mary.
MARY. I see. [Thoughtfully.] College and then more help to get started, because he's a man.