"'Why not?' he demanded. 'Why not?

"'I wouldn't put a price on my secrecy,' I said. 'That wasn't
what I meant at all, only I thought you might be good-natured
enough to let me in on the deal--with a margin on Gee-whizz, you
know.'

"'I suppose I am getting old,' he said, 'and getting stupid--but
would you mind explaining to me what you want in words of
one syllable?'

"'You wanted to put papa on a good thing,' I said. 'He wouldn't
have it, so I thought you might pass it along to me,

"'You seem to have passed it along to yourself,' he remarked, a
bit ironically.

"'It's a very small matter to you,' I pleaded, 'but it's a whole
Manton to me.'

"'And the shock nearly killed father,' he said, mopping his
bishop forehead.

"'I can make papa give me four hundred and fifty dollars for
Gee-whizz,' I said; 'and the question is, is that enough?'

"'Enough for what?' he asked.

"'For a Manton, of course,' I said.