"I tell you, he's brought dishonour upon my gray hairs," he exclaimed.
"Exactly, of course, I understand how you feel," replied Geary, "but now about this eight thousand?
I tell you what I'll do." He had resolved to stake everything upon one last hazard.

"See here, Mr.Wade, there's a difference, of course, between eight thousand dollars and ten thousand, but the use of money is worth something, isn't it?
And money down, cold hard cash, is worth something, isn't it?
Well, now, suppose you got that eight thousand dollars money down within three days ?" Hiram Wade still demurred a little longer for the sake of his own self-respect and his dishonoured hairs, but in the end it was agreed that if the money was paid over to him in full before the end of the following week he would be content and would agree to the compromise.
Eight thousand dollars would still be enough to buy out his partner's interest, and even then he would have a little left over with which to improve a certain steaming apparatus.

If the amount was paid in full within a week he could get control of the cleaning-works in time to catch all of the summer trade.
Geary had calculated that this last argument would have its weight; the great difficulty now was to get Vandover to sell at such a low figure and upon such short notice.

He almost despaired of his success in this quarter; however, it all depended upon Vandover now.
Early in the forenoon of the next day Geary pounded on the door of Vandover's sitting-room, pushing it open without waiting for an answer.
Vandover was lying in his shirt-sleeves on the corduroy divan under the huge rug of sombre colours that hung against the wall, and he did not get up as Geary came in; in fact, he hardly stirred.
"Hello!" cried Geary, closing the door with his heel.

"Didn't expect to find _you_ up so early.