"In the main he will."
"Then, if you are his friend, you will advise him to make haste slowly."
"You think the farm is not worth the money?"
"To the ordinary investor I am sure it is not. To the man who wants it for some sentimental reason the case is different."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, if I were a rich man, for instance, I might be disposed to give a good deal more for it than it is worth. You see, I helped to reclaim the land from the waste. I know every bush and tree on the farm. I remember every apple tree being planted. I love the place, for it was my home. My father died there——"
"Then why don't you buy it?" interrupted Sir John.
Ralph laughed.
"You might as well ask me why I don't buy the moon," he said. "If I had been allowed to go on with my present work I might have been able to buy it in time. Now it is quite out of the question."
"That is a pity," Sir John said meditatively.