``Not so bad, not so bad. I saw the house in Paris,
when I was taking a walk one day. I went to the
American ambassador and asked for the best architect
in Paris. I went to him, told him about the house--
and here it is.''

``Decorations, furniture, and all!'' exclaimed Presbury.

``No, just the house. I picked up the interiors in
different parts of Europe--had everything reproduced
where I couldn't buy outright. I want to enjoy my
money while I'm still young. I didn't care what it cost
to get the proper surroundings. As I said to my architect
and to my staff of artists, I expected to be cheated,
but I wanted the goods. And I got the goods. I'll
show you through the house after dinner. It's on this
same scale throughout. And they're putting me together
a country place--same sort of thing.'' He
threw back his little shoulders and protruded his little
chest. ``And the joke of it is that the whole business
isn't costing me a cent.''

``Not a cent less than half a dozen or a dozen
millions,'' said Presbury.

``Not so much as that--not quite,'' protested the
delightedly sparkling little general. ``But what I
meant was that, as fast as these fellows spend, I go
down-town and make. Fact is, I'm a little better off
than I was when I started in to build.''