“Well?” Saniel said.
Caffie put on an expression of despair.
“What did I tell you, my dear sir? Do you remember? Do me the honor to believe that a man of my experience does not speak lightly. What I foresaw has come to pass. Everywhere I received the same reply. The risk is too great; no one would take it.”
“Not even for a large interest?”
“Not even for a large interest; there is so much competition in your profession. As for me, I believe in your future, and I have proved it by my proposition; but, unfortunately, I am only an intermediary, and not the lender of money.”
Caffie emphasized the words, “my proposition,” and underlined them with a glance; but Saniel did not appear to understand.
“And the upholsterer’s summons?” he asked.
“You may be easy on that point. I have attended to it. Your landlord, to whom he owes rent, will interfere, and your creditor must indemnify him before going farther. Will he submit? We shall see. If he does, we shall defend ourselves on some other ground. I do not say victoriously, but in a way to gain time.”
“How much time?”
“That, my dear sir, I do not know; the whole thing depends upon our adversary. But what do you mean by ‘how much time?’—eternity?”