The shot went home.
"Who told you that?" asked old Jolyon.
"I'm sure I don't know," said James; "I can't remember names--I know
somebody told me Soames spent a lot of money on this house; he's not
likely to part with it except at a good price."
"Well," said old Jolyon, "if, he thinks I'm going to pay a fancy price,
he's mistaken. I've not got the money to throw away that he seems to
have. Let him try and sell it at a forced sale, and see what he'll get.
It's not every man's house, I hear!"
James, who was secretly also of this opinion, answered: "It's a
gentleman's house. Soames is here now if you'd like to see him."
"No," said old Jolyon, "I haven't got as far as that; and I'm not likely
to, I can see that very well if I'm met in this manner!"
James was a little cowed; when it came to the actual figures of a
commercial transaction he was sure of himself, for then he was dealing
with facts, not with men; but preliminary negotiations such as these
made him nervous--he never knew quite how far he could go.
"Well," he said, "I know nothing about it. Soames, he tells me nothing;
I should think he'd entertain it--it's a question of price."
"Oh!" said old Jolyon, "don't let him make a favour of it!" He placed
his hat on his head in dudgeon.
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