Nobody had asked Priam to die.
Nobody had asked him to give up his identity.

If he had latterly been receiving tens instead of thousands for his pictures, the fault was his alone.

Mr.Oxford had only bought and only sold; which was his true function.

But Mr.Oxford's sin, in Priam's eyes, was the sin of having been right.
It would have needed less insight than Mr.Oxford had at his disposal to see that Priam Farll was taking the news very badly.
"For both our sakes, _cher maitre_," said Mr.Oxford persuasively, "I think it will be advisable for you to put me in a position to prove that my guarantee to Witt was justified." "Why for both our sakes ?" "Because, well, I shall be delighted to pay you, say thirty-six thousand pounds in acknowledgment of--er--" He stopped.
Probably he had instantly perceived that he was committing a disastrous error of tact.

Either he should have offered nothing, or he should have offered the whole sum he had received less a small commission.