"You must understand, however," she said to him severely, "the only
way in which we will release this option is that nothing but a
first-class apartment-house, of not less than ten stories in height
and with no suites of less than three thousand a year rental, shall
be erected."

"I'll sign an agreement to that effect," he promptly promised.

"And how much do you offer us for the property?"

"Two hundred thousand," he returned, making a conservative guess at
the amount they must have paid for the two options.

A deepening of the quinine expression told him that he had undershot
the mark.

"Two hundred and ten thousand," he quickly amended.

A chocolate-cream expression struggled feebly with the quinine; and
Johnny, who could translate the lines of the human countenance into
dollars and cents with great accuracy, knew instantly that their two
options had cost them thirty thousand dollars, and that he was
offering the four ladies a profit of one thousand two hundred and
fifty dollars' worth of gowns or diamonds each.

"That will be the most I can give," he still further amended. "I am
prepared to write you a check at any moment."

"I think I can call a meeting at once," she informed him, and did so