"Lucky at cards, unlucky in love" is a metaphor that could be applied to both Maudlin and his son Paulo, although their form of gambling was not confined to the wager of money. Their principle speculation lay elsewhere; in the interference and risk to other"s welfare and lives. Maudlin"s lifelong search for his version of love had brought many conquests, but none had fulfilled his heart as much as the discovery of a fellow devotee to the enrichment of English wellbeing. As for the focus of this love, his son, his desires for emotional satisfaction were second to that of ambition and power.
Paulo was ambivalent towards love, as his upbringing had taught him that the reliance on women for his personal welfare was a mistake. He had thought Andrea had been weak in not pressing her claims on h
