"I have told you the reason: the boats don't belong to me. What would you say if I should lend your hat to some fellow without your permission?"
"I shouldn't say a word; just as lief you'd do it as not," promptly returned the applicant. "I ain't stingy with what belongs to me. If them boats was mine, I'd let you have 'em all day when I wa'n't usin' 'em."
Tom Topover made this display of liberality in a tone of triumph, and he appeared to think it ought to settle the question at once. He looked as complacent and self-satisfied as though he had actually loaned the coxswain half a dozen barges every day for a week.
"I have ten dollars belonging to my uncle which he gave me to pay a bill in Burlington when I go there to-morrow," said Dory, amused but not convinced by the unselfish offer of Tom. "Do you think it would be right for me to lend that money?"
"Right? Of course it would, if any good feller like me wanted to borry it. Lend it to me, and I will pay it back next week when a man gives me twenty dollars he owes me," answered Tom glibly.
"I don't think it would be right, and I can't lend the money or the boats because they don't belong to me. You must go to Captain Gildrock if you want to borrow the boats," replied Dory, finding it was useless to argue the point with one who had no respect for the rights of property.
"You'll let us take one of the boats, won't you? I hain't got no time to go'n find Captain Gildrock," continued Tom.
"I will not let you take one of the boats," said Dory very decidedly. "I have told you I could not."