slowly read the letter.

"I say, Stephen, this must be the wrong letter. It's from those
wheelworks of yours, telling you they've got so many orders they can't
execute them, and that there's a new contract from the Government.
They want to extend the works."

"Well, damn it! doesn't that mean more money, and the Government takes
pretty nearly all the profit. You seem to forget that money's wanted in
business. I shall have to shut up shop if this goes on. D'you think
giving employment to hundreds of workmen isn't worth something, too? I'm
thinking very seriously of closing Crossways Hall altogether; in fact, I
should, only that it would cost me almost as much as keeping it open.
There's no man in the country who has done more in the public interest
than I have, but there's a limit to everything."

Ringsmith scowled at Peter, who made no attempt at replying.

"By the way, Ringsmith, did you know Whelan is over here? I met him quite
by chance yesterday. Seems he's come over on a large Government contract
for shells. He asked after you. Told me about a Corot you sold him some
years ago. He seemed to think he'd paid a big price."

"Well, he didn't." The tone of Ringsmith's reply was irritable. Peter
Knott stopped putting on his gloves and looked at Ringsmith inquiringly.

"Not a big price? He told me L7,500."

"Oh, he told you that, did he? Have you any idea what kind of expenses
there are in a transaction of that kind?"