.

RIDGEON. I mean on the score of its being--shall I say dishonorable?

LOUIS. Well, of course I shouldnt suggest it if I didnt want the money.

RIDGEON. Indeed! Well, you will have to find some other means of getting
it.

LOUIS. Do you mean that you refuse?

RIDGEON. Do I mean--! [letting his indignation loose] Of course I
refuse, man. What do you take me for? How dare you make such a proposal
to me?

LOUIS. Why not?

RIDGEON. Faugh! You would not understand me if I tried to explain. Now,
once for all, I will not lend you a farthing. I should be glad to help
your wife; but lending you money is no service to her.

LOUIS. Oh well, if youre in earnest about helping her, I'll tell you
what you might do. You might get your patients to buy some of my things,
or to give me a few portrait commissions.

RIDGEON. My patients call me in as a physician, not as a commercial
traveller.

A knock at the door.

Louis goes unconcernedly to open it, pursuing the subject as he goes.

LOUIS. But you must have great influence with them. You must know such
lots of things about them--private things that they wouldnt like to have
known. They wouldnt dare to refuse you.

RIDGEON [exploding] Well, upon my--

Louis opens the door, and admits Sir Patrick, Sir Ralph, and Walpole.

RIDGEON [proceeding furiously] Walpole: Ive been here hardly ten
minutes; and already he's tried to borrow 150 pounds from me. Then he
proposed that I should get the money for him by blackmailing his wife;
and youve just interrupted him in the act of suggesting that I should
blackmail my patients into sitting to him for their portraits.

LOUIS. Well, Ridgeon, if this is what you call being an honorable man! I
spoke to you in confidence.

SIR PATRICK. We're all going to speak to you in confidence, young man.

WALPOLE [hanging his hat on the only peg left vacant on the hat-stand]
We shall make ourselves at home for half an hour, Dubedat. Dont be
alarmed: youre a most fascinating chap; and we love you.

LOUIS. Oh, all right, all right. Sit down--anywhere you can. Take
this chair, Sir Patrick [indicating the one on the throne]. Up-z-z-z!
[helping him up: Sir Patrick grunts and enthrones himself]. Here you
are, B. B. [Sir Ralph glares at the familiarity; but Louis, quite
undisturbed, puts a big book and a sofa cushion on the dais, on Sir
Patrick's right; and B. B. sits down, under protest]. Let me take your
hat. [He takes B. B.'s hat unceremoniously, a