"Mr. Swift," she said imperiously, "you must give me your word that you will keep my confidence." And as this caused the old gentleman to stare at her with a startled look, she added insistently: "You must not say a word of my coming here or whatever I may ask you to do. Promise." "Sounds quite terrible," said Mr. Swift, smiling indulgently. In his mind he decided that the visit meant a demand for a few hundred dollars for some girlish fancy. "Well, how shall I swear? Cross my heart and all that sort of thing?" "Mr. Swift, I am serious, awfully serious," stamping her foot with annoyance, "and please do not treat me as a child." He saw that the matter was of some importance, and scenting perhaps complications, withdrew into a defensive attitude. "Suppose you tell me a little of what you want of me," he said carefully, "before I give such a promise." Patsie, who for her reasons did not wish her father to have the slightest suspicion of this visit, hesitated, looked from Mr. Swift to Bojo, and turned away nervously, seeking some new method to gain her end. "Miss Drake is coming to you as a client," said Bojo, deciding to speak, "to consult you about her interests. So long as it is about her business affairs, it seems quite natural, doesn't it, that you should keep her confidence?" "Eh, what?" said Mr. Swift, frowning. He seemed to repeat the question to himself, and answered grudgingly: "Of course, of course, that's all right, that's true. If it is only to consult me about your business affairs--" [Illustration: "'Your promise. No one is to know what I do'"] "It is absolutely that," said Patsie hastily. She stood beside him, holding out her hand obstinately. "Your promise. No one is to know what I do." Mr. Swift made a mental reservation and nodded his head. The three sat down. "How much have I deposited in stocks and bonds to my account?" asked Patsie. "Do you wish a list?" said Mr. Swift, preparing to touch a button. "No, no, not now; only the value--in a general way." "Of course," said Mr. Swift, caging his fingers and looking over their heads to the depths of the ceiling, "of course, it depends somewhat on the state of the market. While what you have is the best of securities, still, as you must know, even the best will not bring to-day what it would a year ago." "Yes, but in a general way," she insisted. "In a general way," he said carefully, "I should say what you have would represent a capital of $500,000 to $510,000. Possibly, under favorable conditions, a little more." Patsie and Bojo looked at him in astonishment. "You said $500,000?" she said incredulously. He nodded. "You are thinking of Doris," she said, bewildered. "Not at all. That is approximately the value of your holding. Your father deposited with me securities to the value of $260,000 on your coming of age last January." "Yes, yes; I know that, but--" "And securities of the par value of $250,000 on the occasion of your sister's marriage."