"Of course," the sitter continued, with an assumption of airy lightness
which grated on every nerve of the hearer, "you are not in a position
to turn such knowledge to advantage; but I am, and I am always inclined
to help a bright fellow like you when there is a good chance. So if you
should come to me and say that the mills are to be so and so, I'd do
all I could to make things pleasant for you. I happen to belong to a
syndicate myself that has bought a mill privilege at Wachusett, and it
is important to us to have the new railroad go our way, and we'd like
to know how far the other fellows' plans are dangerous to our
interests, don't you see."

Still Fenton did not speak. He had grown very pale, and his lips were
set firmly together. His hands clasped the arms of his chair so
strongly that the blood had settled under the middle of the nails. Mr.
Irons looked at him with narrow, piercing eyes. He paused a moment and
then went on.

"You are perfectly capable of keeping a secret," he said in a hard,
deliberate tone, "so I don't in the least mind telling you what we
should do. Your sitters always tell you things, you know; and you are
to be trusted. The case is here; our syndicate stand in with the
railroad corporation and ask the Railroad Commissioners for a
certificate of exigency, to authorize laying the new branch out through
Wachusett. Now we have information that Staggchase and Stewart Hubbard
and that set, are planning to spring a petition asking for special
legislation locating the road somewhere else. Of course, they'll have
to get it in under a suspension of the rules, but they can work that
easily enough. The Commissioners will have to hold on, then, until the
Legislature finishes with that petition."