“Hold on a minute! You don’t suppose I’m so benevolent as to do all this without pay, do you?”
“I didn’t know,” answered Brackett, his jaw dropping.
“I’m not such an idiot, thank you! I must have a hundred dollars down, and a thousand dollars when you come into the property.”
“That’s rather steep!” said Brackett, disturbed.
“It isn’t enough; but you are my sister’s husband, and I’ll work for you cheaper than for anyone else. I’d charge anybody else at least twice as much. Well, Brackett, what do you say?”
“It seems a great deal of money to pay for an hour’s work. It won’t take you more than an hour.”
“You seem to forget there’s some risk about it. Such work as that you can’t measure by the time it takes.”
“Lucindy would never agree to such terms as that.”
“The more fool she! Didn’t you tell me the old man was good for over ten thousand dollars?”
“Yes; he must have at least as much as that.”