Атлант расправил плечи

           Ferrissoftly,"butyoumightwishtoseewhetherweknowit,thatMrs.J.SmithisMissDagnyTaggart."

           HefoundnothingtoobserveinRearden’sface.Reardenhadnotmovedtobendovertheprints,butsatlookingdownatthemwithgraveattentiveness,asif,fromtheperspectiveofdistance,hewerediscoveringsomethingaboutthemwhichhehadnotknown.

           "Wehaveagreatdealofadditionalevidence,"saidDr.Ferris,andtosseddownonthedeskaphotostatofthejeweler’sbillfortherubypendant."Youwouldn’tcaretoseetheswornstatementsofapartmenthousedoormenandnightclerks—theycontainnothingthatwouldbenewtoyou,exceptthenumberofwitnesseswhoknowwhereyouspentyournightsinNewYork,foraboutthelasttwoyears.Youmustn’tblamethosepeopletoomuch.It’saninterestingcharacteristicofepochssuchasoursthatpeoplebegintobeafraidofsayingthethingstheywanttosay—andafraid,whenquestioned,toremainsilentaboutthingsthey’dprefernevertoutter.Thatistobeexpected.Butyouwouldbeastonishedifyouknewwhogaveustheoriginaltip."

           "Iknowit,"saidRearden;hisvoiceconveyednoreaction.ThetriptoFloridawasnotinexplicabletohimanylonger.

           "Thereisnothinginthisblackjackofminethatcanharmyoupersonally,"saidDr.Ferris,"Weknewthatnoformofpersonalinjurywouldevermakeyougivein.Therefore,Iamtellingyoufranklythatthiswillnothurtyouatall.