"And what about your property in the meantime?" asked Beaumont.
"Oh, I'll leave it to my solicitors to attend to."
"Why not appoint me your agent?"
Blake coloured a little at this direct request and smiled in an embarrassed manner.
"Well, I hardly see how I can do that," he said frankly, "I've only known you about three months, and besides, I have perfect confidence in my solicitors to manage the property, so, with all due respect to you, Beaumont, I must decline to appoint you my agent."
He spoke with some haughtiness, as he was irritated at the cool way in which Beaumont spoke, but that gentleman seemed in nowise offended and smiled blandly as he answered:
"If then, you will not help me in that way, will you give me some money--say five hundred pounds?"
"Certainly not!" retorted Blake hotly, pushing back his chair, "why should I do such a thing? As I said before, I have only known you three months--you were kind enough to introduce me to some friends of yours in Town, beyond this our friendship does not extend--I have yet to learn that gentlemen go about requesting sums of money from comparative strangers."
"You have yet to learn a good many things," said Beaumont coolly, irritated by the independent tone of the young man, "and one is that you must give me the money I ask."
Blake jumped to his feet in amazement at the peremptory tone of the artist and looked at him indignantly.