"Fifteen, say twenty thousand would be a decent price anyway," said they.
Geissler agreed that might be a decent price enough for any one sorely in need of the money, but five-and-twenty thousand would be better. And then one of the gentlemen put in—saying it perhaps by way of keeping Geissler from soaring too far: "By the way, I've seen your wife's people in Sweden—they sent their kind regards."
"Thank you," said Geissler.
"Well," said the other gentleman, seeing Geissler was not to be won over that way, "a quarter of a million … it's not gold we're buying, but copper ore."
"Exactly," said Geissler. "It's copper ore."
And at that they lost patience, all of them, and five watch-cases were opened and snapped to again; no more time to fool away now; it was time for dinner. They did not ask for food at Sellanraa, but rode back to the mine to get their own.
And that was the end of the meeting.
Geissler was left alone.
What would be in his mind all this time—what was he pondering and speculating about? Nothing at all, maybe, but only idle and careless? No, indeed, he was thinking of something, but calm enough for all that. After dinner, he turned to Isak, and said: "I'm going for a long walk over my land up there; and I'd have liked to have Sivert with me, same as last time."
"Ay, so you shall," said Isak at once.