Атлант расправил плечи

           Taggartdidnotapproveofextremes;shehadbeenpreparedtocontendwithanextremeoftheoppositekind,ifnecessary;shefoundherselfthinkingthatthiswasworse.Shefeltembarrassedwhenshehadtoadmitthatherdaughter,atseventeen,didnothaveasingleadmirer.

           "DagnyandFranciscod‘Anconia?"shesaid,smilingruefully,inanswertothecuriosityofherfriends."Ohno,it’snotaromance.It’saninternationalindustrialcartelofsomekind.That’salltheyseemtocareabout."

           Mrs.TaggartheardJamessayoneevening,inthepresenceofguests,apeculiartoneofsatisfactioninhisvoice,"Dagny,eventhoughyouwerenamedafterher,youreallylookmorelikeNatTaggartthanlikethatfirstDagnyTaggart,thefamousbeautywhowashiswife."Mrs.Taggartdidnotknowwhichoffendedhermost:thatJamessaiditorthatDagnyacceptedithappilyasacompliment.

           Shewouldneverhaveachance,thoughtMrs.Taggart,toformsomeconceptionofherowndaughter.Dagnywasonlyafigurehurryinginandoutoftheapartment,aslimfigureinaleatherjacket,witharaisedcollar,ashortskirtandlongshow-girllegs.Shewalked,cuttingacrossaroom,withamasculine,straight-lineabruptness,butshehadapeculiargraceofmotionthatwasswift,tenseandoddly,challenginglyfeminine.

           Attimes,catchingaglimpseofDagny’sface,Mrs.