"If it vould be good for dose vealthy men to buy, it vill be my affair not to sell. I shall keep my interests in ze mines."
"How much good will they do you if you have no capital to work them?"
"I have come to you to get ze capital."
"And how would you purpose to pay for the accommodation?"
"Your bank lends, does it not? I would borrow!"
"What security?"
"My own. Is that not enough? And now there will be dis mine also."
"You would mortgage it then to get an advance? Can you give a first mortgage?--No?--mortgaged already, eh? Then sell, Mr. Rouget. Sell to a company. If your ideas are reasonable I may be able to help you; but a large outlay will be required to start the enterprise, and getting up a company is an expensive process. However, I think I am safe in saying you can sell your unproductive swamp for the price of the best agricultural land in the province, or double what any cleared land round St. Euphrase would bring. Yes! I will even risk giving you fifty dollars the arpent myself, and take all the risk and expense, while you will have the prospective advantage when population comes streaming in to work the mines."
"You are kind, Mr. Herkimaire. I thank you. But either you are not serious, or you believe me more fool than is the case. Messieurs Pyrites and Sulphuret may be willing to put me in the way to develop my property. I am told they do large business in metals. I shall wish you a good evening, Mr. Herkimaire."
"No, no! Mr. Rouget. Stop a moment! Just tell me plainly what it is you want, and I shall be pleased to promote your views if I can. I have asked you how much you would take for your property, or what you wish to do with it. You have made no answer. I then made you an offer for the land, which of course you were quite at liberty to refuse; but surely your refusing to take my price does not necessitate your taking offence, especially seeing that you have not yet said what value you put on the property yourself--and I am sure there is no arrangement which Pyrites and Sulphuret would make with you which I am not quite as able to carry out. Since you have been good enough to give me the first chance, pray do not go before we have had time to understand each other. What is your own idea in the matter?"