“For the college, of course.”

“Exactly.  Precisely.  For the college, of course.  The more, the better.  And I should like your name on the board of trustees of—­of—­”

“The college?”

“The university, of course.  I should like your name.”

The fat gentleman was pleased at the prospect of owning land near the Baptist University, and doubly pleased at the prospect of seeing his name in print as one of the guardians of the destiny of the infant institution.  He thought he would like to buy half of block 26.

“Well, no.  I couldn’t sell in 26 to you or any man.  Couldn’t sell to any man.  I want to hold that block because of its slope.  I’ll sell in 28 to you, and the lots there are just about as good.  Quite as good, indeed.  But I want to build on 26.”

The fat gentleman declared that he wouldn’t have anything but lots in 26.  That block suited his fancy, and he didn’t care to buy if he could not have a pick.

“Well, you’re an experienced buyer, I see,” said Plausaby, Esq.  “An experienced buyer.  Any other man would have preferred 28 to 26.  But you’re a little hard to insist on that particular block.  I want you here, and I’ll give half of 28 rather than sell you out of 26.”

“Well, now, my friend, I am sorry to seem hard.  But I fastened my eye on 26.  I have a fine eye for direction and distance.  One, two, three, four blocks from the public square.  That’s the block with the solitary oak-tree in it, if I’m right.  Yes?  Well, I must have lots in that very block.  When I take a whim of that kind, heaven and earth can’t turn me, Mr. Plausaby.  So you’d just as well let me have them.”

Plausaby, Esq., at last concluded that he would sell to the plump gentleman any part of block 26 except the two lots on the south-east corner.  But that gentleman said that those were the very two he had fixed his eyes upon.  He would not buy if there were any reserves.  He always took his very pick out of each town.

“Well,” said Mr. Plausaby coaxingly, “you see I have selected those two lots for my step-daughter.  For little Katy.  She is going to get married next spring, I suppose, and I have promised her the two best in the town, and I had marked off these two.  Marked them off for her.  I’ll sell you lots alongside, nearly as good, for half-price.  Just half-price.”

But the fat gentleman was inexorable.  Mr. Plausaby complained that the fat gentleman was hard, and the fat gentleman was pleased with the compliment.  Having been frequently lectured by his wife for being so easy and gullible, he was now eager to believe himself a very Shylock.  Did not like to rob little Kate of her marriage portion, he said, but he must have the best or none.  He wanted the whole south half of 26.

And so Mr. Plausaby sold him the corner-lot and the one next to it for ever so much more than their value, pathetically remarking that he’d have to hunt up some other lots for Kate.  And then Mr. Plausaby took the fat gentleman out and showed him the identical corner, with the little oak and the slope to the south.