BOOTH. [_in a tone of mitigated thunder._] Why will there be no money?
EDWARD. [_letting himself go._] Because every penny by right belongs to
those clients whom our father spent his life in defrauding. When I say
defrauding, I mean it in its worst sense . . swindling . . thieving. I
have been in the swim of it, for the past year . . oh, you don't know
the sink of iniquity . . and therefore I mean to collect every penny,
any money that you can give me; put the firm into bankruptcy; pay back
all these people what we can. I'll stand my trial . . it'll come to that
with me . . and as soon as possible. [_he pauses, partly for breath, and
glares at them all._] Are none of you going to speak? Quite right, what
is there to be said! [_Then with a gentle afterthought._] I'm sorry to
hurt you, mother.
_The_ VOYSEY _family is simply buried deep by this avalanche of horror_.
MRS. VOYSEY, _though, who has been watching_ EDWARD _closely, says very
calmly_.
MRS. VOYSEY. I can't hear quite all you say, but I guess what it is. You
don't hurt me, Edward . . I have known of this for a long time.
EDWARD. [_with almost a cry._] Oh, mother, did he know you knew?
MRS. VOYSEY. What do you say?
TRENCHARD. [_collected and dry._] I may as well tell you, Edward, I
suspected everything wasn't right about the time of my last quarrel with
my father. Of course, I took care not to pursue my suspicions. Was
father aware that you knew, Mother?
MRS. VOYSEY. We never discussed it. There was once a great danger . .
when you were all younger . . of his being found out. But we never
discussed it.
EDWARD. [_swallowing a fresh bitterness._] I'm glad it isn't such a
shock to all of you.
HUGH. [_alive to a dramatic aspect of the matter._] My God . . before
the earth has settled on his grave!
EDWARD. I thought it wrong to postpone telling you.
HONOR, _the word swindling having spelt itself out in her mind, at last
gives way to a burst of piteous grief_.
HONOR. Oh, poor papa! . . poor papa!
EDWARD. [_comforting her kindly._] Honor, we shall want your help and
advice.
_The Major has recovered from the shock, to swell with importance. It
being necessary to make an impression he instinctively turns first to
his wife._
BOOTH. I think, Emily, there was no need for you to have been present at
this exposure, and that now you had better retire.
EMILY. Very well, Booth.
_She gets up to go, conscious of her misdemeanour. But as she reaches
the door, an awful thought strikes the Major._
BOOTH. Good Heavens . . I hope the servants haven't been listening! See
where they are, Emily . . and keep them away, distract them. Open the
door suddenly; [_she does so, more or less, and there is no one behind
it._] That's all right.
_Having watched his wife's departure, he turns with gravity to his
brother._
BOOTH. I have said nothing as yet, Edward. I am thinking.
TRENCHARD. [_a little impatient at this exhibition._] That's the worst
of these family practices . . a lot of money knocking around and no
audit ever required. The wonder to me is to find an honest solicitor at
all.
BOOTH. Really, Trenchard!
TRENCHARD. Well, the more able a man is the less the word Honesty
bothers him . . and the Pater was an able man.
EDWARD. I thought that a year ago, Trenchard. I thought that at the
worst he was a splendid criminal.
BOOTH. Really . . really, Edward!
EDWARD. And everything was to come right in the end . . we were all to
be in reality as wealthy and as prosperous as we have seemed to be all
these years. But when he fell ill . . towards the last he couldn't keep
the facts from me any longer.
TRENCHARD. And those are?
EDWARD. Laughable. You wouldn't believe there were such fools in the
world as some of these wretched clients have been. I tell you the firm's
funds were just a lucky bag into which he dipped. Now sometimes their
money doesn't even exist.
BOOTH. Where's it gone?
EDWARD. [_very directly._] You've been living on it.
BOOTH. Good God!
TRENCHARD. What can you pay in the pound?
EDWARD. Without help? . . six or seven shillings, I daresay. But we must
do better than that.
_To which there is no response._
BOOTH. All this is very dreadful. Does it mean beggary for the whole
family?
EDWARD. Yes, it should.
TRENCHARD. [_sharply._] Nonsense.
EDWARD. [_joining issue at once._] What right have we to a thing we
possess?
TRENCHARD. He didn't make you an allowance, Booth . . your capital's
your own, isn't it?
BOOTH. [_awkwardly placed between the two of them._] Really . . I--I
suppose so.
TRENCHARD. Then that's all right.
EDWARD. [_vehemently._] It's stolen money.
TRENCHARD. Booth took it in good faith.
BOOTH. I should hope so.
EDWARD. [_dwelling on the words._] It's stolen money.
BOOTH. [_bubbling with distress._] I say, what ought I to do?
TRENCHARD. Do . . my dear Booth? Nothing.