“What you say is quite true.” The Elder stroked his chops thoughtfully.
“You didn’t have them things to pet, neither. You might just as well stop that. It makes me nervous.”
Elder Fox eyed him narrowly. He had a mind to tell this man to leave his house at once. He even entertained the thought that it might be a good thing to call Debbs and have him put out. But a certain fear, which 234 had for years haunted the Elder, laid a cold restraining hand on his inclinations.
“Yes, Josiah, those are habits that I have formed in business. Dealing with so many different kinds of men makes us do odd things at times, and if repeated often enough they become habits. I have always tried to be courteous even to men that bore me, and I presume I took on those senseless little syllables to temper my natural brusqueness.”
“Well, you don’t need ’em to-night, and you can be as brusque as you like.”
“Before we speak of that little matter between us, I have something else I want to say. When we have finished, I trust there will be no need to mention the other.”
“If it’s advice you’re wanting to give, I’ll tell you right off that I’ve had enough of it. What I need is time on that mortgage you and your crooked lawyer put over on me.”
“There may be lots of money in what I have to propose. In fact, there is, if you do as I say. How badly do you want a ship to man and command?”
“See here, Jim, I ain’t in no frame of mind 235 to be fooled with to-night. If you don’t mean just what you’re going to say, you’d best not say it.”
“I mean every word of it, but I shall expect more consideration and respect from you before I open my mouth again.”