"It is," said Isbister. "As a matter of fact, it's a
case for a public trustee, if only we had such a
functionary."

"It seems to me it's a case for some public body,
some practically undying guardian. If he really is
going on living -- as the doctors, some of them, think.
As a matter of fact, I have gone to one or two public
men about it. But, so far, nothing has been done."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to hand him over to
some public body -- the British Museum Trustees, or
the Royal College of Physicians. Sounds a bit odd,
of course, but the whole situation is odd."

"The difficulty is to induce them to take him."

"Red tape, I suppose?"

"Partly."

Pause. "It's a curious business, certainly," said
Isbister. "And compound interest has a way of
mounting up."

"It has," said Warming. "And now the gold supplies
are running short there is a tendency towards
. . . appreciation."