time-keeping methods"--he was looking straight at Bince and he could
not help but note the slight narrowing of the other's lids--
"wage-paying systems and planning on efficiency producers."

Here he hesitated a moment as though weighing his words, though as a
matter of fact he had merely forgotten the title of the next chapter,
but presently he went on again:

"Later I shall start reducing costs by studying machines, handling
material economically and producing power at lowest costs: keeping the
product moving, making environment count on the balance-sheet and
protecting against accident and fire."

"Is that all?" asked Mr. Bince.

"Oh, no, indeed!" said Jimmy. "That's just a very brief outline of the
way I shall start."

"Ah!" said Mr. Bince. "And just how, may I ask, do you make environment
count on the balance-sheet? I do not quite understand."

Jimmy was mentally gasping and going down for the third time. He had
wondered when he read that chapter title just what it might mean.

"Oh," he said, "you will understand that thoroughly when we reach that
point. It is one of the steps in my method. Other things lead up to it.
It is really rather difficult to explain until we have a concrete
example, something that you can really visualize, you know. But I assure
you that it will be perfectly plain to you when we arrive at that point.