Атлант расправил плечи

           "WouldyoutakemywordforitthatIdecidedtoofferyouthepostI’mgoingtooffer,beforeyouaskedtoseeme?Iwantyoutoknowthat." 

           "Iwillalwaystakeyourword,MissTaggart." 

           "It’sthepostofSuperintendentoftheOhioDivision.It’syours,ifyouwantit." 

           Hisfaceshowednoreaction,asifthewordshadnomoresignificanceforhimthanforasavagewhohadneverheardofrailroads. 

           "Idon’twantit,MissTaggart,"heanswered. 

           Afteramoment,shesaid,hervoicetight, "Writeyourownticket,Kellogg. Nameyourprice.Iwantyoutostay. Icanmatchanythinganyotherrailroadoffersyou." 

           "Iamnotgoingtoworkforanyotherrailroad." 

           "Ithoughtyoulovedyourwork." 

           Thiswasthefirstsignofemotioninhim,justaslightwideningofhiseyesandanoddlyquietemphasisinhisvoicewhenheanswered, "Ido." 

           "ThentellmewhatitisthatIshouldsayinordertoholdyou!" 

           Ithadbeeninvoluntaryandsoobviouslyfrankthathelookedatherasifithadreachedhim. 

           "PerhapsIambeingunfairbycomingheretotellyouthatI’mquitting,MissTaggart. Iknowthatyouaskedmetotellyoubecauseyouwantedtohaveachancetomakemeacounter-offer. SoifIcame,itlooksasifI’mopentoadeal. ButI’mnot. IcameonlybecauseI...Iwantedtokeepmywordtoyou." 

           Thatonebreakinhisvoicewaslikeasuddenflashthattoldherhowmuchherinterestandherrequesthadmeanttohim;andthathisdecisionhadnotbeenaneasyonetomake.