“Well, you are dealing with me. Why do you ask?”
“Only this,” said Antonides, who, from one brief glimpse, had summed up the financial position of this girl, who was able to afford a private suite of rooms on the first floor of the Langham.
“It’s nothing to you, here or there, a pound or two in my pocket, so long as it doesn’t come out of your pocket, won’t make her pocket any the lighter. Mr Freyberger, consider our bargain off, like a good friend and let me do the skinning.”
“Now look here,” said Freyberger, “you bargained to come here and view the thing for two pounds.”
“Guineas.”
“And the cab fare, that’s what you’ll get and not a penny more. Skinning, indeed! Do you take me for an—art dealer? See here, I have the money for you, here’s two pounds, here’s two shillings, and what’s the cab fare?”
“Five.”
“Three, you mean; anyhow, here’s five. What a funny man you are.”
“I am never funny in business, but in return for your compliment, I will give you a piece of advice—never, never, stir a foot in business without settling your terms in advance. Once I lost eight shillings and a halfpenny, the single fare to Leicester by omitting to carry out that precept. It was seven years ago, Mr Freyberger, seven years, and I have never got that eight and a halfpenny back from the world yet, and never will. Now to our consultation.”
They returned to the sitting-room, Freyberger introduced the old man in a word or two and then pointed to the bust.