You can see for yourself, a
big proposition for a guy like you, with a ship and everything--"
Upon me he would heap all those priceless "possessions." Me! And in
exchange he would ask only cabin passage for two from Taai beach to the
Golden Gate. Only deck passage! Only anything!
"Set us down there, me and her, that's all. I'll give you a bill of
sale. Why, from where you look at it, it's a _find_! It's a lead-pipe
cinch! It's taking candy away from a baby, man!"
"Why don't you keep it, then?"
The soul of his city showed through. I saw him again as I had seen him
swimming in his cotton pants, with that low-comedy whisker and that
consuming little greedy nickel hope of paradise. Even the gestures.
"No, but can't you see, Dole? I got a bigger thing up my sleeve.
God'l'mighty, d'you think I'm a _farmer_? You could go big here; _I_
don't go at all. I ain't that kind. But put me down in New York with
that woman there and that there dance--and that tune--Say! You don't
understand. You can't imagine. Money? Say! And not only money. Say! I
could take that up to Glauber's Academy, and I could say to Glauber,
'Glauber,' I could say--"
I had to leave him standing there, up to his knees in the inky water,
heaping me frankly with curses. I shall not repeat the curses.
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