"I couldn't afford to live there in any case," said Hewson; "but I am
entirely willing to risk the purchase."

Was it possible that Hewson knew something of the neighborhood or its
future, which encouraged him to take the chances of the property
appreciating in value? This thought passed through St. John's mind, and
he was not the man to let himself be overreached in a deal. "The place
ought to be worth thirty thousand," he said, for a bluff.

It was a relief for Hewson to feel ashamed of St. John instead of
himself, for a moment. "Very well, I'll give you thirty thousand."

St. John examined himself for a responsive generosity. The most he could
say was, "You're doing this because of what I'd said."

"What does it matter? I make you a bonafide offer. I will give you thirty
thousand dollars for St. Johnswort," said Hewson, haughtily. "I ask you
to sell me that place. I cannot see that it will ever be any good to me,
but I can assure you that it would be a far worse burden for me to carry
round the sense of having injured you, however unwillingly--God knows I
never meant you harm!--than to shoulder the chance of your place
remaining worthless on my hands."

St. John caught at the hope which the form of words suggested. "If
anything can bring it up, it will be the fact that you have bought it.
Such a thing would give the lie to that ridiculous story, as nothing else
could. Every one will see that a house can't be very badly haunted, if
the man that the ghost appeared to is willing to buy it."