Snape listened to Tara's reasoning. He also listened to her stutter and to the tones of her voice. She was a bright girl, but seemed unaware of her own worth. She also seemed somewhat intimidated by him. Had he done something to intimidate her? Perhaps his devil's-advocacy had seemed aggressive to her. Perhaps she was particularly sensitive. He already suspected she was somewhat shy.
"Very thorough. You must have paid attention in school. If only all people did as you have done. You're right that goblins are generally unpleasant and non-cooperative, though one couldn't say they don't have reason to resent us. These seem to be of a different breed from those I know from Britain and the European continent. Do they look like those you have in America?" Normally, Snape would not be so cavalier with a stranger when talking about a race that muggles were commonly unaware of, but it was obvious to both of them that goblins existed. "He does seem to be incredibly adept with powerful magic. I wonder if anyone in this town, perhaps someone he has brought can rival him." Snape wasn't sure how much of Jareth's magic was simple display and flash, but there was definitely real power there, too. He also wasn't sure if he himself had the power to match him.