'No, sir,the whole of my legacy would not cover that. And I would rather not invest more than twenty thousand at first.'
'Twenty thousand' has a pleasant sound to a man with 'mad' daughters, and other expenses! Nevertheless the governor looked steadily into the face of facts.
'My dear Miss Kennedy, I must remark to you, that if you do not want to put mills on that ground, it would be a very poor investment for your twenty thousand. The water power is all the value there. And Paul Charteris has been trying to get it of me for his own purposes. Now I know what he wants; but I do not see what you want with land in Mill Hollow.'
'Why Governor Powder,' said Hazel, 'Mr. Falkirk would go to sleep in luxury, if he could only see why I want things! One might as well be a manor Mr. Paul Charterisat once!'
'Isn't Paul Charteris a man?' inquired Gov. Powder laughing. Hazel laughed too, but returned to the charge.
'I shall not invest in him,' she said, 'even so much as an opinion.
What I want is the land, and the water power, and the fun.'
Gov. Powder stepped back and took a survey of the little lady.
'You mustn't break your teeth with a bonbon,' said he. 'Suppose you let me speak to my friend Mr. Falkirk about it?'
'No indeed, sir! Mr. Falkirk never approves of anything he does not suggest himself. All great men have their weak points, Gov. Powder,' said Wych Hazel.
'Well, let us say Rollo then. I think he is a wild man with his own fortune; but I reckon he would look out for yours. By the way! he may want the land for himself? eh?'