[_The door at the back flies open, and FAKRASH appears. He is wearing a very tall hat with a wide flat brim, a frock-coat, baggy shepherd's plaid trousers fitting tightly over his ankles, and Oriental shoes._ FAKRASH. Greeting to ye, O company! [_MR. WACKERBATH and PRINGLE turn in surprise._ HORACE. [_Sinking helplessly into his chair; half to himself._] It's with _you_, partner! [_In an undertone to FAKRASH._] Take off your hat! [_FAKRASH removes his tall hat with both hands, and places it on the top of MR. WACKERBATH'S hat. MR. WACKERBATH, annoyed, goes to cabinet and removes his own hat._ FAKRASH. [_To MR. WACKERBATH._] If I mistake not, thou art the wealthy merchant for whom this my son hath undertaken to erect a mansion? MR. WACKERBATH. I am, sir. And you, I presume, are Mr. Ventimore, senior? HORACE. No, he isn't--he's no relation of _mine_! FAKRASH. [_To MR. WACKERBATH, proudly._] Is he not an architect of divine skill, and hath he not built thee a palace that might cause even the gall of a Sultan to burst with envy? MR. WACKERBATH. It very nearly made _me_ burst, sir, I can tell you that! FAKRASH. I marvel not, for verily it is a lordly dwelling for such as thou. MR. WACKERBATH. "Lordly!" _You_ can call it what you like. _I_ call it a tom-fool cross between the Brighton Pavilion and the Palm-house at Kew! No billiard-room--and not a sign of any drainage system! And you have the brass--the--the unblushing effrontery to expect me to accept it as a first-class country-house with every modern convenience! PRINGLE. I _must_ say that, in all my professional experience, I _never_---- HORACE. [_Rising and approaching MR. WACKERBATH._] I'd better explain, Mr. Wackerbath. It seems that my old--er--friend here has, with the mistaken notion that he was helping me, built this palace for you himself. I haven't _seen_ it--but, from what I know of his talents in that line, it can't be half a bad sort of place--in its way. And, anyhow, I shouldn't dream of making any charge under the circumstances. We make you a _present_ of it--perhaps you didn't understand _that_? So, surely you will accept it in the--the spirit in which it was intended, what? MR. WACKERBATH. _Accept_ it! See the finest position in the neighbourhood occupied by a jerry-built Moorish nightmare? Be the laughing-stock of the whole county? They'd call it "Wackerbath's Folly"! I won't have it on _my_ land a day longer than I can help! I'll go to law, sir, and _compel_ you and your officious partner here to pull the thing down! I--I'll fight the case as long as I can stand! FAKRASH.