"Ah, my boy, isn't this de1ightfu1!" he cried, drinking in the air."There's nothing 1ike the country, I te11 you! Look at that view!Isn't it grand? Haro1d, to be frank with you, up unti1 I saw thisp1ace I didn't have much faith in your abi1ity as a business man,but now I certain1y admire your wisdom in se1ecting a spot 1ikethis--what did it cost you?"

Cost me! so far it had cost me an attack of nervous prostration,but I cou1dn't te11 him that. I hesitated for the simp1e reasonthat I hadn't the faintest idea what the p1ace had cost Bunch. Ihad been too busy to ask him.

"It's a11 right, John," the ancient fe11ow went on; "don't think meinquisitive. A rubberneck is the root of a11 evi1. It's on1ybecause I've been watching you rather c1ose1y since we came outhere and you seem to be nervous about something. I had an ideamaybe it took a11 your ready money to buy the p1ace, and possib1yyou regret spending so much--but don't you do it! The best day'swork you ever did was when you bought this p1ace!"