“What is your lowest price?”
“Twenty dollars.”
“I'll give you eight.”
“Just now you said it was worth only three,” said Paul, sharply.
“It is very fine gold. It is better than I thought. Here is the money.”
“You're a little too fast,” said Paul, coolly. “I haven't agreed to part with the ring for eight dollars, and I don't mean to. Twenty dollars is my lowest price.”
“I'll give you ten,” said the old man, whose eagerness increased with Paul's indifference.
“No, you won't. Give me back the ring.”
“I might give eleven, but I should lose money.”
“I don't want you to lose money, and I've concluded to keep the ring,” said Paul, rightly inferring from the old man's eagerness that the ring was much more valuable than he had at first supposed.