“Well, I'm proposing to separate them. We'll take your station scheme. Considering the benefit and convenience, as you say, the city can afford to be moderate, but it can't afford any more grade crossings down there. You'll have to come in by a subway.” Macclesfield shook his head smilingly. “We can't afford that, you see.” “Can't? Well, you can afford what you have to. May I ask what you expect to get through for, from Roper's front to Maple Street?” “Oh, well--isn't this a little inquisitorial?” “Not necessary, anyway. I know, about.” He named a figure. Macclesfield looked surprised. Hennion went on slowly: “The offer you have made Roper I happen to know that he won't take at all. You'll suspect, then, that the P. and N. are bidding against you. There'll be a mess, and you'd better not be in it. You might as well suspect it now. The P. and N. can afford anything they choose.” Macclesfield said nothing. “I'm going to make a suggestion, Mr. Macclesfield, if you like.” “By all means!” “I'm going to suggest that you put your bridge a half mile lower down, below the boathouses, and come up back of the Gas Works. If you don't know the holdings down there I'll give them to you.” He plunged, without waiting, into a stream of ordered and massed figures, following the suggested line from point to point, massed the figures of the Roper's front to Maple Street plan, compared them, and went on. “The Gas Works people will be all right. A. J. Lee will make you some trouble. Dennis Dolan, being one of your stockholders, won't. You'll save about half on your right of way. Construction will be considerably more. You get an easy water-front instead of having to bid against the P. and N. By stopping beyond the Gas Works instead of going on to Maple Street you'll save seventy thousand at least. You'll have the marshes to develop your freight yards without much limit. The station's preferable there, probably, from the city's standpoint. It will front on the Boulevard, if the Boulevard ever gets down there, and it will. You have a better curve, same connection with the P. and N., and this one here with the L. and S. You'd have to buy right and left on Maple Street. Here you get your site in a lump from Dolan and the Gas Works. Now, we'll take your approach on the east side.” More details massed and ordered. Macclesfield listened intently. Tait half closed his eyes and swung one nervous foot. Hen-nion concluded and paused a moment. “Now, Mr. Macclesfield, allow me a little more candour. It amounts to this--first, if you can't touch me with a bridge, you can't touch me with anything.” “If I seemed to attempt it,” said Macclesfield, “I owe you an apology for my awkwardness.” “None at all for anything. Secondly, a subway and no grade crossings this side the Gas Works or on Lower Bank Street is final, so far as I can make it so. Thirdly, your proposal that I put in plans for the new bridge can now be very properly withdrawn.”