“Cut me off with what you will,” said Goodenough, sullenly, “not a farthing of my money shall ever be lent to one that has a project for every day in the year. Get into what difficulties you may, I will never join you in any bond, I promise you. It is enough for me to take care of myself.”
“Don’t flatter yourself that I am getting into any difficulties,” replied Marvel. “I wanted the hundred guineas only to pay for a horse; and the friend who sold him to me will wait my convenience.”
“The friend” said Wright; “do you mean that man who rode home with you from Spalding?—I advise you not to make a friend of him, for he is a notorious jockey.” “He will not take me in, though,” said Marvel; “I am as sharp as he is, and he sees that: so we understand one another very well. To my certain knowledge, a hundred and twenty guineas could be had to-morrow for the horse I bought from him; yet he let me have him for a hundred.”
“And how can a man of your sense, cousin Marvel,” said Wright, “believe that a person, who never saw you till within these three days, would be so much your friend as to make you a present of twenty guineas?”
“A present!”
“Yes; if he lets you have a horse for a hundred, which you can sell for a hundred and twenty, does not he make you a present of twenty guineas?”
“Well, but I can tell you the reason for all that: he wants me to enter into a scheme with him, for breeding horses on the common here: and so he would not, at first setting out, stand to higgle with me for the price of a horse.”
“And would you for twenty guineas, cousin Marvel, run the hazard of joining in any scheme with a man of his character? Pray inquire in the country and in York, where you are going, what sort of a character this man bears. Take my advice, pay him for his horse, and have nothing more to do with him.”
“But I have not the ready cash to pay him for his horse, that’s one thing,” said Marvel.
“Let that be no difficulty,” replied Wright; “for I have a hundred guineas here, just brought home from Partney fair, and they are heartily at your service.”