Атлант расправил плечи

           "

           Atoppositeendsoftheballroom,OrrenBoyle,whoseemedtoostoutforhisfull-dressclothes,andBertramScudder,whoseemedtoomeagerforhis,surveyedthecrowdofguestswiththesamethought,thoughneitherofthemadmittedthathewasthinkingit.OrrenBoylehalf-toldhimselfthathewaslookingforthefacesoffriends,andBertramScuddersuggestedtohimselfthathewasgatheringmaterialforanarticle.Butboth,unknowntoeachother,weredrawingamentalchartofthefacestheysaw,classifyingthemundertwoheadingswhich,ifnamed,wouldhaveread:"Favor"and"Fear."ThereweremenwhosepresencesignifiedaspecialprotectionextendedtoJamesTaggart,andmenwhosepresenceconfessedadesiretoavoidhishostility—thosewhorepresentedahandloweredtopullhimup,andthosewhorepresentedabackbenttolethimclimb.Bytheunwrittencodeoftheday,nobodyreceivedoracceptedaninvitationfromamanofpublicprominenceexceptintokenofoneortheotherofthesemotives.

           Thoseinthefirstgroupwere,forthemostpart,youthful;theyhadcomefromWashington.Thoseinthesecondgroupwereolder;theywerebusinessmen.

           OrrenBoyleandBertramScudderweremenwhousedwordsasapublicinstrument,tobeavoidedintheprivacyofone’sownmind.

           Wordswereacommitment,carryingimplicationswhichtheydidnotwishtoface.