Ben turned to Tobias. "He's been tryin' to live of Elijah's charity. And he's no doubt talkin' to you for yer money, Tobias. But he's not the type that you'd want near Alice."

Alice was fascinated by that splinter.

Tobias, meanwhile, was getting pretty fed up. He had learned by now that Ben was harsh and judgmental, but having his father-in-law telling him what company to keep and not keep went too far. "That's quite enough, Ben," he said, raising his voice a little.