"Here, give it to me!" He could see to read, now, and he was unaware of the pain of the action.
It was the White Mouse that was offering him forty dollars, and the story was "The Whirlpool," another of his early horror stories.

He read the letter through again and again.

The editor told him plainly that he had not handled the idea properly, but that it was the idea they were buying because it was original.

If they could cut the story down one-third, they would take it and send him forty dollars on receipt of his answer.
He called for pen and ink, and told the editor he could cut the story down three-thirds if he wanted to, and to send the forty dollars right along.
The letter despatched to the letter-box by Teresa, Martin lay back and thought.

It wasn't a lie, after all.