“Of course,” assented Mr. Pincott. “Why shouldn’t you be artful as well as anybody else? Where did you say the pickcher was?”
“I didn’t say,” replied Mr. Clark, gently.
“Well, ’ow can I say whether I want to buy it if I ’aven’t seen it?” contended Mr. Pincott, frowning.
“Ah, I wasn’t born yestiddy!” declared Mr. Clark, acutely. “If I tells you where the picture is to be found I might as well be right out of the affair altogether. You’d go along and buy it on your own, behind my back.”
“No such thing,” denied Mr. Pincott, with overdone indignation.
“Oh, well, I can proteck my own hinterests, thanks be!” stated Mr. Clark, easily. “I’ll wait till things is a bit further hadvanced before I commits myself. I’ll find out what price she’s willing to take, and see you again before I sees Mr. Dobb. ’Ow will that do?”
“That’s a good idea,” commended Mr. Pincott. “But—but I shouldn’t waste no time if I was you. I’d go right down there now, wherever it is, and carry things a step farther without delay.”
“And so I will, this minute,” agreed Mr. Clark. He favoured Mr. Pincott with a vast wink, and nodded very knowingly at him in token of mutual understanding. He then took his departure, and Mr. Pincott, giving him a grudged start of one minute, followed cautiously after him. The fact that Mr. Clark, without stopping anywhere, made his way directly back to his employment at the ferry caused Mr. Pincott to speak of that aged man’s duplicity in the harshest terms.
“Oh, well, anyway, I’m further than I was last night!” was the consolation Mr. Pincott eventually found for himself. “It’s a Carrotti, and Dobb’s found it and means to buy it at a bargain, and intends to sell it to old Lister, no doubt. However, there’s nothing to prevent me selling it to Lister either, if I can get ’old of it. Carrotti?” he mused. “First I’ve ever ’eard of ’im, but ’e sounds all right. Anyway, if it’s good enough for Dobb, it’s good enough for me.”
And with a grin of satisfaction at the prospect of defeating his sole competitor in the district, Mr. Pincott put on his hat again, and sauntered along for his customary shave.