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.
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