Атлант расправил плечи

           "Iamthinkingofyourname,"shesaid,whileanotherpartofhermindwascryingtoherthatreproacheswereuseless."Itwasatraditionofyourfamilythatad‘Anconiaalwaysleftafortunegreaterthantheonehereceived."

           "Ohyes,myancestorshadaremarkableabilityfordoingtherightthingattherighttime—andformakingtherightinvestments.Ofcourse,‘investment’isarelativeterm.Itdependsonwhatyouwishtoaccomplish.Forinstance,lookatSanSebastián.Itcostmefifteenmilliondollars,butthesefifteenmillionwipedoutfortymillionbelongingtoTaggartTranscontinental,thirty-fivemillionbelongingtostockholderssuchasJamesTaggartandOrrenBoyle,andhundredsofmillionswhichwillbelostinsecondaryconsequences.That’snotabadreturnonaninvestment,isit,Dagny?"

           Shewassittingstraight."Doyourealizewhatyou’resaying?"

           "Oh,fully!ShallIbeatyoutoitandnametheconsequencesyouweregoingtoreproachmefor?First,Idon’tthinkthatTaggartTranscontinentalwillrecoverfromitslossonthatpreposterousSanSebastiánLine.Youthinkitwill,butitwon’t.Second,theSanSebastiánhelpedyourbrotherJamestodestroythePhoenix-Durango,whichwasabouttheonlygoodrailroadleftanywhere."

           "Yourealizeallthat?"

           "Andagreatdealmore."

           "Doyou"—shedidnotknowwhyshehadtosayit,exceptthatthememoryofthefacewiththedark,violenteyesseemedtostareather—"doyouknowEllisWyatt?"

           "Sure."