"District rate," said the Agent, "poor rate, water rate, the whole bag of tricks for thirteen shillings."
That took Ranny's breath away. As for Violet, she said instantly that they must have the house.
"Of course you must 'ave it," said the Agent. He might have been an indulgent father. "Why not? Only thirteen shillings. And I can make you better terms than that."
It was then that he produced the Prospectus.
By this time, as if stirred by Violet's beauty, he had thrown off the mask of indifference; he was eager and alert.
They spent twenty minutes over that Prospectus, from which it appeared that the profit of the Estate Company, otherwise obscure, came from what the Agent called the "ramifications" of the scheme, from the miles and miles of houses they could afford to build. Whereas Ranny's profit was patent, it came in on the spot, and it would come in sooner, of course, if he could afford to purchase outright.
But there Ranny put his foot down. He said with decision that it couldn't be done, an answer for which the Agent seemed prepared.
Well, then--he could give him better terms again. Could he rise to twenty-five?
Well, then--only twenty-five down, and the balance weekly.
The balance? It sounded formidable, but it worked out at exactly tenpence a week less than the rent asked for (twelve and twopence instead of thirteen shillings), and in twenty years' time--and he'd be a young man still then--the house would be his, Ranny's, as surely as if he had purchased it outright for two hundred and fifty pounds.
It was astounding. Such a scheme could only have been dreamed of in the Paradise of Little Clerks.
Ranny said he didn't want to be saddled with a house. How did he know whether he'd want that particular house in twenty years' time?
Then he could let or sell, the Agent said. It was an investment for his money. It was property. Property that was going up and up. Even supposing--what was laughable--that he failed to sell--he would be paying for his property--paying for house and land--less weekly than if he rented it. Ordinarily you paid your rent out of income or investments. He would be investing every time he paid his rent. People made these difficulties because they hadn't grasped our system--or for other reasons. Maybe (the Agent fired at him a glance of divination) he was calculating the expense of furnishing?