“I guess that’s so,” said the Honourable Hilary, “I was counsel for that road then.  I read that letter.  He says there isn’t an engine on the division that could pull his hat off, up grade.”

Neither of the two gentlemen appeared to deem this statement humorous.

“What these incendiaries don’t understand,” said Mr. Flint, “is that we have to pay dividends.”

“It’s because they don’t get ’em,” replied Mr. Vane, sententiously.

“The track slid into the water at Glendale,” continued Mr. Flint.  “I suppose they’ll tell us we ought to rock ballast that line.  You’ll see the Railroad Commission, and give ’em a sketch of a report.”

“I had a talk with Young yesterday,” said Mr. Vane, his eyes on the stretch of lawn and forest framed by the window.  For the sake of the ignorant, it may be well to add that the Honourable Orrin Young was the chairman of the Commission.

“And now,” said Mr. Flint, “not that this Crewe business amounts to that” (here the railroad president snapped his fingers with the intensity of a small pistol shot), “but what’s he been doing?”

“Political advertising,” said the Honourable Hilary.

“Plenty of it, I guess,” Mr. Flint remarked acidly.  “That’s one thing Tooting can’t teach him.  He’s a natural-born genius at it.”

“Tooting can help—­even at that,” answered Mr. Vane, ironically.  “They’ve got a sketch of so-called Northeastern methods in forty weekly newspapers this week, with a picture of that public benefactor and martyr, Humphrey Crewe.  Here’s a sample of it.”

Mr. Flint waved the sample away.

“You’ve made a list of the newspapers that printed it?” Mr. Flint demanded.  Had he lived in another age he might have added, “Have the malefactors burned alive in my garden.”

“Brush has seen some of ’em,” said Mr. Vane, no doubt referring to the editors, “and I had some of ’em come to Ripton.  They’ve got a lot to say about the freedom of the press, and their right to take political advertising.  Crewe’s matter is in the form of a despatch, and most of ’em pointed out at the top of the editorial columns that their papers are not responsible for despatches in the news columns.  Six of ’em are out and out for Crewe, and those fellows are honest enough.”

“Take away their passes and advertising,” said Mr. Flint. ("Off with their heads!” said the Queen of Hearts.)

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Flint; they might make capital out of it.  I think you’ll find that five of ’em have sent their passes back, anyway.”

“Freeman will give you some new ideas” (from the “Book of Arguments,” although Mr. Flint did not say so) “which have occurred to me might be distributed for editorial purposes next week.  And, by the way, what have you done about that brilliant Mr. Coombes of the ‘Johnstown Ray,’ who says ’the Northeastern Railroads give us a pretty good government’?”