for a minute? Why aren't you out among some of
these shady paths with Constance Joy? You've cinched your million, now
go get the girl."

This was too much for the tortured Johnny, and the smoldering agony
within him burst into flame.

"Look here, Courtney!" he declared with a vehemence which really seemed
quite unnecessary, "I'm going to marry Constance Joy whether she likes
it or not!"

A flash of white at the head of the stairs caught Johnny's eye. It was
Constance! There was no hope that she had not heard!

"What's the matter?" asked Courtney, startled by the remarkable change
in his countenance.

"I've got the stomach ache!" groaned Johnny with clumsy evasion, though
possibly he was truthful after all.

"You must have some whisky," insisted Courtney, instantly concerned.

A servant came out of the library.

"I beg your pardon, sir," he remarked, "but I believe this must be your
hat, Mr. Gamble."

Johnny broke one of his most rigid rules. He said: "Damn!"

CHAPTER XX

IN WHICH JOHNNY ASKS HIMSELF WHAT IS A MILLION DOLLARS, ANYWAY

Johnny Gamble in the following days was, as Loring put it, a scene of
intense activity. It was part of his contract with the improvement
company that he put their subdivision plans under way; and he planted
himself in the center of the new offices while things circled round him
at high speed. His persistent use of the fast-gear clutch came from the
fact that he would not bind himself to work for them more than two
weeks.

"They're handing me a shameful salary for it," he confided to Loring,
"and I'm glad to get it because it pays up all my personal expenses
during my forty-days' stunt and leaves me my million clear."

"Well," began Loring with a smile, "your million won't be"--he suddenly
checked himself and then went on--"won't be a nice pretty sum of money
unless it ends in the six round ciphers."

He had been about to tell Johnny that he owed fifteen thousand dollars
to Constance Joy. Loring reflected, however, that this could be paid
just as well after it was all over; that, if he told about it now,
Johnny would drop everything to make that extra fifteen thousand; that,
moreover, Constance had not yet given him permission to mention the
matter; and, besides, there seemed to be a present coolness between
Constance and Johnny which nobody understood. On the whole, it was
better to keep his mouth shut; and he did it.

"It's rather a nice-sounding word,--million