“And what leads you to suppose,” he inquired, “that I am responsible in this matter?  What leads you to infer that the Consolidated Tractions Company was not organized in good faith?  Do you think that business men are always infallible?  The street-car lines of this city were at sixes and sevens, fighting each other; money was being wasted by poor management.  The idea behind the company was a public-spirited one, to give the citizens cheaper and better service, by a more modern equipment, by a wider system of transfer.  It seems to me, Mr. Hodder, that you put yourself in a more quixotic position than the so-called reformers when you assume that the men who organize a company in good faith are personally responsible for every share of stock that is sold, and for the welfare of every individual who may buy the stock.  We force no one to buy it.  They do so at their own risk.  I myself have thousands of dollars of worthless stock in my safe.  I have never complained.”

The full force of Hodder’s indignation went into his reply.

“I am not talking about the imperfect code of human justice under which we live, Mr. Parr,” he cried.  “This is not a case in which a court of law may exonerate you, it is between you and your God.  But I have taken the trouble to find out, from unquestioned sources, the truth about the Consolidated Tractions Company—­I shall not go into the details at length—­they are doubtless familiar to you.  I know that the legal genius of Mr. Langmaid, one of my vestry, made possible the organization of the company, and thereby evaded the plain spirit of the law of the state.  I know that one branch line was bought for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and capitalized for three millions, and that most of the others were scandalously over-capitalized.  I know that while the coming transaction was still a secret, you and other, gentlemen connected with the matter bought up large interests in other lines, which you proceeded to lease to yourselves at guaranteed dividends which these lines do not earn.  I know that the first large dividend was paid out of capital.  And the stock which you sold to poor Garvin was so hopelessly watered that it never could have been anything but worthless.  If, in spite of these facts, you do not deem yourself responsible for the misery which has been caused, if your conscience is now clear, it is my duty to tell you that there is a higher bar of justice.”

The intensity of the fire of the denunciation had, indeed, a momentary yet visible effect in the banker’s expression.  Whatever the emotions thus lashed to self-betrayal, anger, hatred,—­fear, perhaps, Hodder could not detect a trace of penitence; and he was aware, on the part of the other, of a supreme, almost spasmodic effort for self-control.  The constitutional reluctance of Eldon Parr to fight openly could not have been more clearly demonstrated.