y inevitable trend of
things, become...?

Mr. Flint rose and went to the window, where he stood silent for a space,
looking out, played upon by unwonted conflicting thoughts and emotions.
At length, with a characteristic snap of the fingers, he turned abruptly.
Austen Vane was still standing beside the desk. His face was still
square, determined, but Mr. Flint noted curiously that the anger was gone
from his eyes, and that another--although equally human--expression had
taken its place,--a more disturbing expression, to Mr. Flint.

"It appears, Mr. Vane," he said, gathering up the papers and placing them
in the boxes, "it appears that we are able to agree upon one point, at
least--Hilary Vane."

"Mr. Flint," said Austen, "I did not come up here with any thought of
arguing with you, of intruding any ideas--I may hold, but you have
yourself asked me one question which I feel bound to answer to the best
of my ability before I go. You have asked me what, in my opinion, would
happen if you ceased--as you express it--to take an interest in the
political, affairs of this State.

"I believe, as firmly as I stand here, that the public opinion which
exists to-day would protect your property, and I base that belief on the
good sense of the average American voter. The public would protect you
not only in its own interests, but from an inherent sense of fair play.
On the other hand, if you persist in a course of political manipulation
which is not only obsolete but wrong, you will magnify the just charges
against you, and the just wrath; you will put ammunition into the hands
of the agitators you rightly condemn. The stockholders of your
corporation, perhaps, are bound to suffer some from the fact that you
have taken its life-blood to pay dividends, and the public will demand
that it be built up into a normal and healthy condition. On the other
hand, it could not have gone on as it was. But the corporation will
suffer much more if a delayed justice is turned into vengeance.

"You ask me what I could do. I should recognize, frankly, the new
conditions, and declare as frankly what the old ones were, and why such
methods of defence as you adopted were necessary and justified. I should
announce, openly, that from this day onward the Northeastern Railroads
depended for fair play on an enlightened public--and I think your trust
would be well founded, and your course vindicated. I should declare, from
this day onward, that the issue o