“Sixpence a yard over.”
Jacob nodded approval.
“By the bye,” he said, “I see that the Water Company is getting on very well with its connections. They must have several hundred men at work there.”
Mr. Montague appeared a little startled.
“Well, well! At any rate we shall be able to keep our word. Electric light and water will be ready for every house as it is built.”
“That reminds me of a question I was going to ask you,” Jacob went on. “What price are we going to charge for the electric light?”
“What price?” Montague murmured, balancing a knife upon his forefinger and watching it meditatively.
“The Company’ll have to fix that amongst themselves,” Littleham declared brusquely.
“One or two of the people who’ve bought plots have made enquiries,” Jacob continued, without noticing the last speaker. “I think they’ve begun to realise that they’re pretty well at our mercy—or rather at the mercy of the Company.”
“Well, that’s not our business, anyway,” Montague replied evasively. “I dare say it will be rather an expensive affair, connecting them all up.”