who will award the contracts and the engineers best fitted to execute
them. Acting as a medium for both creator and producer, and in serving
their mutual self-interest, the Consolidated Companies can easily become
the greatest patron of the arts, both fine and mechanical, that the
world has ever seen,--and all this, with profit to itself. Could
anything be simpler?"

"You are prepared to build navies and also submarines to destroy them?"

"'To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the
attainment of the above objects,'" quoted Gorham; "but our energies are
always exerted in constructive directions."

The Senator became absorbed in his own thoughts and was silent for
several moments.

"I don't see yet how those men were persuaded to associate themselves
with your corporation," he said, more to himself than to his companion.
"The vast business advantages which it already possesses are quite
apparent, but I cannot reconcile the conflict which must exist between
the dual capacities of your stockholders as individuals and as public
officials or officers of trust. Without intending to cast reflections
upon any name I have seen, I can scarcely resist asking myself if every
man has his price."

"I claim he has," Gorham stated.

The Senator turned upon him sharply. "Then my first impressions of the
principles of your enterprise were correct. I beg--"