The way that Paul's mother reacts when Paul gives her a gift of five thousand pounds is that D. she spends even more money than before.
Paul won this money in horse races, and he wanted to give it to his mother anonymously, to be spent over the course of five years (she would get a thousand pounds on her birthday for five years). However, his mother is initially unhappy with this and decides to take all the money immediately, and she spends it all on home decor and expensive tutors for Paul, which is something he didn't want to happen.
