Атлант расправил плечи
The Sanction of the Victim
You’veprovedthattherightalwaysworksandalwayswins—"Shestopped,thenadded,"—providedoneknowswhatistheright."
Lilliansaidtohimatdinnernextday,"Soyou’vewon,haveyou?"
Hervoicewasnoncommittal;shesaidnothingelse;shewaswatchinghim,asIfstudyingariddle.
TheWetNurseaskedhimatthemills,"Mr.Rearden,what’samoralpremise?""Whatyou’regoingtohavealotoftroublewith."
Theboyfrowned,thenshruggedandsaid,laughing,"God,thatwasawonderfulshow!Whatabeatingyougavethem,Mr.Rearden!Isatbytheradioandhowled.""Howdoyouknowitwasabeating?""Well,itwas,wasn’tit?""Areyousureofit?""SureI’msure.""Thethingthatmakesyousureisamoralpremise."
Thenewspapersweresilent.Aftertheexaggeratedattentiontheyhadgiventothecase,theyactedasifthetrialwerenotworthyofnotice.Theyprintedbriefaccountsonunlikelypages,wordedinsuchgeneralitiesthatnoreadercoulddiscoveranyhintofacontroversialissue.
Thebusinessmenhemetseemedtowishtoevadethesubjectofhistrial.Somemadenocommentatall,butturnedaway,theirfacesshowingapeculiarresentmentundertheefforttoappearnoncommittal,asiftheyfearedthatthemereactoflookingathimwouldbeinterpretedastakingastand.Othersventuredtocomment:"Inmyopinion,Rearden,itwasextremelyunwiseofyou...
