Атлант расправил плечи

           "Icouldn’thelpit!Wehadtohaveatranscontinentaltrack!Therewasnowaytogetaroundthetunnel!Wehadnomoneytopayforanyextracosts!Somethinghadtobedone!Wehadtohaveatrack!"

           Meigswaslookingathimwithaglanceofpartastonishment,partdisgust,"Iamnotarguing,Jim,"shesaiddryly.

           "Wecouldn’tpermitarailroadlikeTaggartTranscontinentaltocrash!Itwouldhavebeenanationalcatastrophe!Wehadtothinkofallthecitiesandindustriesandshippersandpassengersandemployeesandstockholderswhoselivesdependonus!Itwasn’tjustforourselves,itwasforthepublicwelfare!EverybodyagreesthattheRailroadUnificationPlanispractical!Thebest-informed—"

           "Jim,"shesaid,"ifyouhaveanyfurtherbusinesstodiscusswithme—discussit."

           "You’veneverconsideredthesocialangleofanything,"hesaid,inasullen,retreatingvoice.

           ShenoticedthatthisformofpretensewasasunrealtoMr.Meigsasitwastoher,thoughforanantipodalreason.HewaslookingatJimwithboredcontempt.Jimappearedtohersuddenlyasamanwhohadtriedtofindamiddlecoursebetweentwopoles—Meigsandherself—andwhowasnowseeingthathiscoursewasnarrowingandthathewastobegroundbetweentwostraightwalls.

           "Mr.