on't grow in Brixton," said Prothero concisely.

"Well, what am I to do, Prothero?"

"Does all THIS belong to you?"

"No, this is my mother's."

"Godfather too?"

"I've not thought.... I suppose so. Or her own."

Prothero meditated.

"THIS life," he said at last, "this large expensiveness--..."

He left his criticism unfinished.

"I agree. It suits my mother somehow. I can't understand her living in
any other way. But--for me...."

"What can one do with several thousands a year?"

Prothero's interest in this question presently swamped his petty
personal resentments. "I suppose," he said, "one might have rather a
lark with money like that. One would be free to go anywhere. To set all
sorts of things going.... It's clear you can't sell all you have and
give it to the poor. That is pauperization nowadays. You might run
a tremendously revolutionary paper. A real upsetting paper. How many
thousands is it?"

"I don't know. SOME."

Prothero's interest was growing as he faced the possibilities.

"I've dreamt of a paper," he said, "a paper that should tell the brute
truth about things."

"I don't know that I'm particularly built to be a journalist," Benham
objected.

"You're not," said Billy.... "You might go into Parliament as a
perfectly independent member.... Only you wouldn't get in...."

"I'm not a speaker," said Benham.

"Of course," said Billy, "if you don't decide on a game, you'll just go
on like this. You'll fall into a groove, you'll--you'll hunt. You'll go
to Scotland for the grouse."

For the moment Prothero had no further suggestions.

Benham waited for a second or so before he broached his own idea.

"Why, first of all, at any rate, Billy, shouldn't one use one's money
to make the best of oneself? To learn things that men without money and
leisure find it difficult to learn? By an accident, however unjust it
is, one is in the position of a leader and a privileged person. Why not
do one's best to give value as that?"

"Benham, that's the thin end of aristocracy!"

"Why not?"

"I hate aristocracy. For you it means doing what you like. While you are
energetic you will kick about and then you will come back to this."

"That's one's own look-out," said Benham, after reflection.

"No, it's bound to happen."

Benham retreated a little from the immediate question.

"Well, we can't suddenly at a blow change the world. If it isn't to be
plutocracy to-day it has to be aristocracy."

Pro