On arriving at the garden entrance, he stopped to look at the view.
"That ought to come down," he said, pointing to the oak-tree.
"You think so? You think that with the tree there you don't get enough
view for your money."
Again James eyed him suspiciously--this young man had a peculiar way of
putting things: "Well!" he said, with a perplexed, nervous, emphasis, "I
don't see what you want with a tree."
"It shall come down to-morrow," said Bosinney.
James was alarmed. "Oh," he said, "don't go saying I said it was to come
down! I know nothing about it!"
"No?"
James went on in a fluster: "Why, what should I know about it? It's
nothing to do with me! You do it on your own responsibility."
"You'll allow me to mention your name?"
James grew more and more alarmed: "I don't know what you want mentioning
my name for," he muttered; "you'd better leave the tree alone. It's not
your tree!"
He took out a silk handkerchief and wiped his brow. They entered the
house. Like Swithin, James was impressed by the inner court-yard.
"You must have spent a douce of a lot of money here," he said, after
staring at the columns and gallery for some time. "Now, what did it cost
to put up those columns?"
"I can't tell you off-hand," thoughtfully answered Bosinney, "but I know
it was a deuce of a lot!"
"I should think so," said James.
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