Атлант расправил плечи

           Shepausedinthedoorway,thelinesofherbodyflowingintoanattractivesilhouetteagainstthelight.

           "IknowIshouldn’tintroducemyselftoastranger,"shesaidsoftly,"butI’llhaveto:mynameisMrs.Rearden."Hecouldnottellwhetheritwassarcasmoraplea.

           Sheenteredandthrewthedoorclosedwithacasual,imperiousgesture,thegestureofanowner.

           "Whatisit,Lillian?"heaskedquietly.

           "Mydear,youmustn’tconfesssomuchsobluntly"—shemovedinaleisurelymanneracrosstheroom,pasthisbed,andsatdowninanarmchair—"andsounflatteringly.It’sanadmissionthatIneedtoshowspecialcausefortakingyourtime.ShouldImakeanappointmentthroughyoursecretary?"

           Hestoodinthemiddleoftheroom,holdingthecigaretteathislips,lookingather,volunteeringnoanswer.

           Shelaughed."MyreasonissounusualthatIknowitwillneveroccurtoyou:loneliness,darling.Doyoumindthrowingafewcrumbsofyourexpensiveattentiontoabeggar?DoyoumindifIstayherewithoutanyformalreasonatall?"

           "No,"hesaidquietly,"notifyouwishto."

           "Ihavenothingweightytodiscuss—nomillion-dollarorders,notranscontinentaldeals,norails,nobridges.Noteventhepoliticalsituation.Ijustwanttochatterlikeawomanaboutperfectlyunimportantthings."

           "Goahead.