Chapter 7: Chapter 7
He was hot and dusty from the street and had, apparently, not rested a moment since
last seen. He came to them blowing out his lips and mopping the perspiration away
with a large, white handkerchief. Gabriel put another threepence on the bar and there
was a pot of beer waiting for him almost before he came to rest. He nodded and
drank, unable, for the moment, to speak.
The draper waited until the beer was almost gone, he said, "Now let's get a few things
straight. First, what's your name?"
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"Pryor, James Pryor."
"Alright, Jimmy Pryor. Now I want you to meet your partner. What's your name, lad?"
"Gabriel Fox."
"Yes, of course, Fox. That's what that woman said. Well, Mr. Fox it's time you and your
partner were formally introduced. You'd better shake hands on it." He gravely
introduced them to each other. They shook hands. ''Aving got that settled it's time we
started to talk business. In the first place how much extra were you going to try and
get out of me with all this jiggery-pokery that's being going on?"
Young Mr. Pryor was aghast that anyone should consider him capable of not behaving
according to the highest standards of his calling. Agents were much maligned by the
general public. There may have been some, very few, unscrupulous persons in the
trade, but on the whole their characters were of great purity.
Mr. Kimpton listened sceptically to these remarks. It seemed that he had had dealings
with estate agents on previous occasions, and unfortunately had encountered the
unscrupulous few Mr. Pryor had mentioned. Perhaps they were more prevalent in
Bendigo than Melbourne.
"I can understand you going off," he said, "to arrange for me to view a property; but
why did young Fox 'ere drop everything, and get 'imself the sack from a nice job in a
music store, and coom rushing round to yon shop to 'elp you out when 'e doesn't even
know your name? It's a funny thing to do and it makes a body wonder what you said
to 'im."
"We are men of quick decision, Mr. Kimpton. I made up my mind this morning that he
was a born salesman. I went and told him we could split the commission if he'd help
me and he decided that there was a better future in land and property than there was
working for an old skinflint like Gladman. You're a man of decision too. If you want
the shop come and have a look at it now. I have beaten the price down for you but
how long it will stay down I can't say. So finish up your beer and we'll take a cab
round now if you like." He turned to Gabriel. "What do you want to do? Do you want
to come with us, or will you go back to the agency. I'm sorry about your job; things
just work out that way now and again."
Gabriel shrugged. "I'll go back to the agency. I don't have anything else to do right
now; but I am going to buy a pencil and some paper. I don't want to have to go
through all that again."
"Well, I'll say good-bye for the time being young man," were the draper's parting
words. "We'll meet again. Whether we do business or not depends on the price your
partner is asking for the property. I may get to the bottom of what's going on, I don't
know; but I will say it's been interesting."
They parted. Pryor was talking as he hailed a cab and the two men set off to view the
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shop in Elizabeth Street while Gabriel went back to the agency.
He was still waiting an hour and a half later, when James Pryor returned. He had
bought an 'Age' and an 'Argus' and they were spread out on the counter. He read
them, giving particular attention to properties advertised for sale or purchase. He
could discern no pattern from the two newspapers except that prices were not
particularly high and there was plenty of vacant land available for home builders.
As soon as the other young man came in Gabriel folded the papers, put them to one
side and looked at him.
Pryor put his silk hat on the counter and rubbed his hands. "He's on the hook; we just
have to play him gently and we'll land a nice, fat hundred pound profit, plus
commission!"
"What did he think of the shop?"
"Loved it! You should have seen his nose go up sniff the air when we went into the
place. Any draper worth his salt could walk in and make a go of it, and he's no fool. He
can see the possibilities. A man like him could turn that shop into a gold mine; though
he wouldn't admit anything like that to me. He kept on shaking his head and saying it
was far too dear when he knows as well as I do that £2,600 stock, property, and goodwill is not buying the business, it's stealing it. Ned Kelly should have such
opportunities. He's a wake-up now; he knows that we have a month's option and
we're sticking him for a bit extra but he doesn't know how much it is and he daren't
wait a month in case someone else snaps it up. The staff wanted to slobber all
over his boots, when they found out he was a draper and a possible buyer. They're
just hoping that he will take over the place and keep them on; they know that the
business can't last more than another three months with old Smith drinking himself
to death. He's over the road in the pub all day instead of attending to the shop, and
they can't run it for him."
"Well, what's happening now?"
"I left Kimpton back at his hotel a little while ago. Just as I was going he made me a
top, final, never to be repeated offer of £2000. I told him my principals couldn't
possibly think of such low price but as it had just come on to the books of the agency I
would be actively promoting it during the next month or so and if nothing better
came along I would certainly pass his offer on for their consideration. He probably
goes very well in Bendigo but down here he's out of his place. That's all right, he'll
come round. I dare say he'll be sitting on the edge of his bed right now worrying in
case another draper comes to us and asks to see a nice shop in the city. It is no good
him going to any other agencies because we've got the option, the sole agency. I made
this pretty clear to him, in a gentlemanly sort of way, of course."
"That's alright," said Gabriel, "now, what about me?"
Mr. Pryor instantly put on his bargaining face - smooth, inscrutable. He rested one
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elbow on the counter. "Don't you fret my boy, you'll get your twenty quid back and
fifty besides. Jimmy Pryor doesn't go back on his word. It was your twenty but my
brains so, like I said, equal whacks, that's fair enough."
"What if it doesn't come off? What if he finds another shop that he likes better, or he
gets one cheaper?"
Pryor waved away the possibility. "You don't know the market. There's nothing
cheaper in town at the moment. It's the sort of property that just has to go at that
price. You'll get your profit, never fear."
"And what about the commission? I should get half of that too."
He shook his head. "Not a chance. I'm the agent, not you. Half the profit goes to you
but all the commission comes to me. Don't get carried away; all this talk about
partnership, it's only talk, you know. I did say to pass yourself off as my partner but
that was only to keep Kimpton happy while I went off and clinched the deal. If you
want to buy a partnership I'm willing to talk but we can't start off by me giving you
half a business. That would not be fair to either of us."
"Half of what business? You only opened the doors today. All you have is a rented
shop and some shop-fittings that your mother had to pay for. You want to make your
first profit by getting money off me. How do I know what the possibilities are because
you might have to close up next week if you aren't able to pay the rent, and don't tell
me you've taken £100 plus commission because nothing has been signed yet; you
could lose him easily."
Pryor considered this statement. "Fair enough. This shop costs £5 a week to rent and
I've paid four weeks in advance. If I want to pay another four weeks I'll have to get
some money somewhere. But I'll do it. Don't you worry about that because this is a
city to have faith in. It's going places, and so am I, and I'll tell you what I'll do. You're a
pretty smart sort of cove; you took me up like lightning when I told you to get round
here and talk to Kimpton. He said you were as smart as a whip, and I could use a
partner like you so you can come in for a hundred quid, plus another four week's rent
which you will have to pay; after that it will be paid by the firm. I can't say fairer than
that because Pryor and Fox could be the biggest property dealers in Melbourne. All
we need is cheek and plenty of luck In a few months you'll laugh at the idea of buying
into a gold-mine like this for a measly hundred quid."
"If it is that good why should I have to share? I could go out and rent a shop and start
my own business."
"Don't be wet!" retorted Mr. Pryor. "You don't know anything about the business and
you don't know the town!" He pointed to the door. "You go out there and try and set
up on your own and they'll have your hide nailed to the door before you knew what
had happened to you. There are sharks waiting to snap up green chums like you, just
off the boat. No, I like the cut of your jib and we can work this town between us."
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Gabriel considered the matter. "I dare say it will be better than the music store,
and I won't have to put up with old Gladman; though I wish I could have sold more
before I left. Tell you what I'll do. Fifty pounds, and that's a lot of money for half of
nothing."
"It's fifty quid for half a golden opportunity, and there are a lot of folk who don't even
get that chance. But because you were smart enough to drop everything and come
round here to look after Fred Kimpton I'll make a final concession -- seventy five and
not a penny under."
"Sixty two pounds ten, and that's my final offer."
"Alright sixty two ten and four weeks rent."
''I'll pay the rent when it falls due, not before. We'll know by then whether this going
to be a success, If it is then after that four weeks the rent is shared between us.
''Right, my boy, that's it, we're partners, half each in everything.
"All profits from now on are to be shared equally, am I right?"
"Out of profits, yes!"
"I'll write you a cheque," he produced his cheques and they shook hands. Gabriel
wrote the cheque and handed it over to his partner. "Now, if we're going to split
everything we can start with Kimpton's commission, that is if he buys."
Pryor looked at him in astonishment and burst out laughing. "You got me there,
Gabby." He clapped him on the back. "This is going to be quite a partnership. We
might be busier watching one another than watching the clients."