"I have read it," she said.

Then she added, plainly more to herself than to him: "But even forty is far too much, of course." Jed was surprised and a little hurt.
"Yes--er--yes, ma'am," he faltered.

"Well, I--I was kind of 'fraid 'twas, but Colonel Davidson seemed to think 'twas about fair, so--" "Oh, you misunderstand me.

I didn't mean that forty dollars was too high a rent.

It isn't, it is a very low one.