"I was never more sensible in my life. I know what I want, and I'm going to get it. I want you and the open air. I want to get my foot off the paving-stones and my ear away from the telephone. I want a little ranch-house in one of the prettiest bits of country God ever made, and I want to do the chores around that ranch-house--milk cows, and chop wood, and curry horses, and plough the ground, and all the rest of it; and I want you there in the ranch-house with me. I'm plumb tired of everything else, and clean wore out. And I'm sure the luckiest man alive, for I've got what money can't buy. I've got you, and thirty millions couldn't buy you, nor three thousand millions, nor thirty cents--" A knock at the door interrupted him, and he was left to stare delightedly at the Crouched Venus and on around the room at Dede's dainty possessions, while she answered the telephone. "It is Mr. Hegan," she said, on returning. "He is holding the line. He says it is important." Daylight shook his head and smiled. "Please tell Mr. Hegan to hang up. I'm done with the office and I don't want to hear anything about anything." A minute later she was back again. "He refuses to hang up. He told me to tell you that Unwin is in the office now, waiting to see you, and Harrison, too. Mr. Hegan said that Grimshaw and Hodgkins are in trouble. That it looks as if they are going to break. And he said something about protection." It was startling information. Both Unwin and Harrison represented big banking corporations, and Daylight knew that if the house of Grimshaw and Hodgkins went it would precipitate a number of failures and start a flurry of serious dimensions. But Daylight smiled, and shook his head, and mimicked the stereotyped office tone of voice as he said:-- "Miss Mason, you will kindly tell Mr. Hegan that there is nothing doing and to hang up." "But you can't do this," she pleaded. "Watch me," he grimly answered. "Elam!" "Say it again," he cried. "Say it again, and a dozen Grimshaws and Hodgkins can smash!" He caught her by the hand and drew her to him. "You let Hegan hang on to that line till he's tired. We can't be wasting a second on him on a day like this. He's only in love with books and things, but I've got a real live woman in my arms that's loving me all the time she's kicking over the traces." CHAPTER XXIII "But I know something of the fight you have been making," Dede contended. "If you stop now, all the work you have done, everything, will be destroyed. You have no right to do it. You can't do it." Daylight was obdurate. He shook his head and smiled tantalizingly.