Атлант расправил плечи

           ItwillonlyhurtMissTaggart."

           Reardenwaslookingstraightathimnow,butDr.Ferriswonderedwhyitseemedtohimthatthecalm,closedfacewasmovingawayintoagreaterandgreaterdistance.

           "Ifthisaffairofyoursisspreadfromoneendofthecountrytotheother,"saidDr.Ferris,"bysuchexpertsintheartofsmearingasBertramScudder,itwilldonoactualdamagetoyourreputation.

           Beyondafewglancesofcuriosityandafewraisedeyebrowsinafewofthestuffierdrawingrooms,youwillgetoffquiteeasily.Affairsofthissortareexpectedofaman.Infact,itwillenhanceyourreputation.

           Itwillgiveyouanauraofromanticglamouramongthewomenand,amongthemen,itwillgiveyouacertainkindofprestige,inthenatureofenvyforanunusualconquest.ButwhatitwilldotoMissTaggart—withherspotlessname,herreputationforbeingabovescandal,herpeculiarpositionofawomaninastrictlymasculinebusiness—whatitwilldotoher,whatshewillseeintheeyesofeveryoneshemeets,whatshewillhearfromeverymanshedealswith—Iwillleavethatuptoyourownmindtoimagine.Andtoconsider."

           Reardenfeltnothingbutagreatstillnessandagreatclarity.Itwasasifsomevoiceweretellinghimsternly:Thisisthetime—thesceneislighted—nowlook.Andstandingnakedinthegreatlight,hewaslookingquietly,solemnly,strippedoffear,ofpain,ofhope,withnothinglefttohimbutthedesiretoknow.