Twelve rooms below, twelve above. Stables outside, added subsequently.
Happy Thought.—Submit this to Chilvern, my architectural friend.
CHILVERN.
I say, Estimate it roughly.
He does it, after a day or so.
Rough Estimate. About £8,000.
“That,” I say, a little staggered, “is rather over the mark than under it, eh?”
“Over? No,” he replies, “Under. I mean, of course, to have everything done well, thoroughly well. Of course,” says he, “there are men who will run you up a house in a few weeks and charge you about £4,000. But what's the result? Why you're always repairing, and it costs you, in the end, double what you'd have paid for having it thoroughly well done at first.”
I ask how long the building would take? Chilvern is of opinion that it would be six months at the least.