"Better see what we can do at a forced sale." "Why, don't you see you would be doing me a favour ?" said Vandover wearily.

"I _ask_ you to buy the block.

I don't care what your figure is!" Once more Geary hesitated, for the last time going over the whole deal in his mind from beginning to end, testing it, looking for weak points.
It was almost perfect.

Suppose the boot and shoe people did not buy the lot?
He could resell it elsewhere, even below its appraised value and yet make money by the transaction; the lot was cheap at ten thousand; it might bring twelve; even as an ordinary, legitimate speculation it was to be desired at such a figure.

Suppose the boot and shoe people backed out entirely, suppose even he could not find another purchaser for the property, why, then, he could hold on to it; the income from the rents was fully 10 per cent.