"I'm only getting a hundred," he stammered.
Stafford nodded encouragingly. Amiably he said:
"Now you're getting a hundred and fifty—"
The clerk's face broadened into a grin. At last his ability was receiving tardy acknowledgment. Hadn't he told Fanny months ago that he was worth the money? Well, better late than never! He was about to express his thanks when the millionaire interrupted him with a careless gesture.
"When you're really worth twenty, I'll make it two hundred—"
The young man's expression fell. Had he heard aright? What could the boss mean?
"Twenty?" he echoed, puzzled.
Stafford laughed loudly. Mockingly he said:
"Yes, I have a system about you. I pay you ten times what I think you're worth."
The listener's jaw dropped a few inches more. This did not sound as if his employer appreciated his merit any too much. Instinctively, he glanced around to see if anyone had overheard. It was just as well Fanny was not present. "Oh, you do?" he exclaimed with a crestfallen air.