I said I would.

He then asked me what I would give for it.

I told him I didn't want to make anything out of Oscar and would give him as much as I could, rehearsing the proposal I had made to Oscar.

Thereupon he told me Oscar would prefer a fixed price.

I thought the answer extraordinary and the gentle, urbane manner of Mr.More Adey, whom I hardly knew at that time and misunderstood, got on my nerves.