"What would you consider 'paid enough' to mean ?" "Oh, if I were given six thousand a year and a sufficient interest in the company--say, a half, or something like that--I might consider it," replied Sippens, determined, as he thought, to frighten Cowperwood off by his exorbitant demands.

He was making almost six thousand dollars a year out of his present business.
"You wouldn't think that four thousand in several companies--say up to fifteen thousand dollars--and an interest of about a tenth in each would be better ?" Mr.Sippens meditated carefully on this.

Plainly, the man before him was no trifling beginner.

He looked at Cowperwood shrewdly and saw at once, without any additional explanation of any kind, that the latter was preparing a big fight of some sort.

Ten years before Sippens had sensed the immense possibilities of the gas business.