“Before you know what it is worth! Let us consider; each dozen of skins is worth, say, from ten to fifteen shillings.”
“You need not trouble yourself to calculate now,” interrupted Marvel, “for I have determined to have the warren. With the money that I shall get for my silver sprigs, I will next year make a decoy, and supply the London market with wild-fowl. Don’t you remember the day that we met Simon Stubbs, the carrier, loaded with game and wild-fowl, he said that a decoy in Lincolnshire must be a fortune to any man. I’ll have the best decoy not only in Lincolnshire but in all England. By-the-bye, there’s another thing I must do, Wright; I’ll exchange any part of Clover-hill you please with you, for as much land in Holland Fen.”
“Take him at his word, cousin Wright,” said Goodenough.
“No, no,” replied Wright; “I know the value of land, and the difference between Clover-hill and Holland Fen, better than he does: I would not take him at his word, for that would be taking him in.”
“I would not take anybody in,” said Goodenough; “but if another man is a fool, that’s no reason I should be one. Now, if a man offers me a good bargain, why should not I close with him, and say—Done?” “Then say done,” cried Marvel, “and you shall have the bargain, Goodenough. You have an undrained marsh of your own: I’ll exchange with you, and welcome, ten acres of the marsh for five of Clover-hill.”
“Done,” said Goodenough.
“Done. I shall stock it with geese, and you’ll see what the quills and feathers alone will bring me in. I’ve engaged with one already to sell them for me. But, Wright, here’s another scheme I have. Wildmore common, you know, is covered with those huge thistles, which prick the noses of the sheep so as to hinder them from feeding and fattening: I will take that common into my own hands.”
“Ay,” said Goodenough; “exchange the rest of Clover-hill for it:—that’s like you!”
“And I will mow the thistles,” pursued Marvel, without deigning to reply to Goodenough. “I will mow the thistles; their down I can contrive to work up into cotton, and the stalks into cordage: and, with the profit I shall make of these thistles, and of my decoy, and of my goose-quills and feathers, and of my silver sprig rabbits, I will buy jackets for my sheep, for my sheep shall all have jackets after shearing. Why should not Lincolnshire sheep, if they have jackets, become as valuable as the Leicestershire breed? You’ll see my sheep will be the finest in the whole county; and, with the profit I shall make of them, I will set up a fishery in Fen-lake; and with the profits of the fishery—now comes my grand scheme—I shall be the richest of you all! with the profits of the fishery, and the decoy, and the sheep, and the silver sprigs, and the quills and feathers, geese and thistles, I will purchase that fine heronry, near Spalding.”
At these words, Goodenough laid down his knife and fork; and, sticking his arms a-kimbo, laughed contemptuously, if not heartily.