“Hain’t interested special,” said Scattergood.  “I git that much fun out of railroadin’.”

“It isn’t paying interest on your investment.”

“I calculate it’s goin’ to.  I’m aimin’ to see it does.”

“Set a figure yourself.”

“Hain’t got no figger in mind.”

“Mr. Baines, I’ll be frank with you.  I want your railroad.”

“So I jedged,” said Scattergood.

“I need it.  I’ll pay you a profit of fifty thousand—­and that’s my last word.”

Scattergood closed his eyes, opened them again, and sat erect.  “Now that business is over with,” he said, “better come up and set down to table with Mandy and me.  Mandy’s cookin’ is considered some better ’n at the hotel.”

“You refuse?”

“I was wonderin’,” said Scattergood, “if you had any notion if I could buy the Goodhue timber reasonable?”

“Eh?” said Mr. Castle, startled.  “The Goodhue timber?”

“Back of Tupper Falls.”

“Who told—­” Mr. Castle snapped his teeth together sharply.

“Leetle bird,” said Scattergood.  “Dinner’s ready.”

“There might come a time when you’d be mighty glad to sell for less than I’m offering.”

“Once there was a boy,” said Scattergood, “and he up and says to another boy, ‘I kin lick you,’ The story come to me that the boy sort of overestimated his weight.’”

“I’m not threatening you,” said Castle.

“It’s a privilege I don’t deny to nobody....  Say, Mr. Castle, be you goin’ into this deal to make money or to take somebody’s scalp?”

“Baines,” said Mr. Castle, “I’ll buy you the best box of cigars in Boston if you’ll tell me where you get your information.”

“Hatch it,” said Scattergood, gravely.  “Jest set patient onto the egg, and perty soon the shell busts and there stands the information all fluffy and wabbly and ready to grow up into a chicken if it’s used right.”

“Will you answer a fair question?”

“If our idees of the fairness of it agrees with one another.”

“Has McKettrick got to you first?”

It was the information Scattergood wanted, but his dumplinglike face showed no sign of satisfaction.  As a matter of fact, he did not know who McKettrick was—­but he could find out.  “Don’t seem to recall any conversation with him,” he said, cautiously, leaving Castle to believe what he desired—­and Castle believed.

“He was keeping his plans almighty dark.  I don’t understand his spilling them to you.  It cost me money to find out.”

“Dinner’s waitin’,” said Scattergood.

“Did he offer to buy your road?”

“If he did,” said Scattergood, “it didn’t come to nothin’.”

It will be observed that Scattergood had obtained important information, though affording none, and in addition had surrounded himself with a haze through which President Castle was unable to see clearly.  Castle knew less after the interview than he had known when he came; Scattergood had discovered all he hoped to discover.