‘I’ve been trotting between pillar and post about that land all day,’ he said languidly, ‘because I fancied you had set your mind on it; and now I feel as tired as if I had been doing a thousand miles in a thousand hours. Glad it’s over.’
‘You do not think it is worth making the offer, then?’
‘My dear boy, they would think we were making fun of them, and be angry.’
Wrentham rolled the cigar between his fingers and smiled complacently.
‘Surely, they must be aware that the price they are asking is absurd—they cannot hope to obtain it from any one in his senses. Look at this paragraph: there is land bought by the corporation yesterday—it is almost within the city, and the price is more than a third less than these people are asking from us.’
Wrentham’s eyes twinkled over the paragraph.
‘Ah, yes; but, you see, these people were obliged to sell; ours are not. However, we need not bother about it. They require more than you will give, and there is an end of it. The question is, what are we to do now?’
‘Take land farther out, where the owners will be more reasonable, and we can reduce our rents so as to cover the railway fares.’
‘But the farther out you go, the more difficulty you will have in finding workmen.’
‘I have thought of that, and have secured an excellent foreman, who will bring us the labourers we require; and for the skilled workmen, an advertisement will find them.’