"You've won her head, at least. That's progress." "Not even all her head. She disapproves of my ideas. She made that clear to me again yesterday. I tell you, I do wish her concern in St. Christopher's and such things could be--well, at least lessened quite a bit." "That's hardly possible--her concern is too deeply rooted." Mr. Chambers shook his head reminiscently. "She has it from her mother." "Yes, but the strength with which she holds to it--that she has from you. I suppose there is little chance of uprooting her convictions. But--I feel I've gained one concession." "Yes?" "She's promised at the end of five weeks to give me her yes or no." Mr. Chambers leaned forward and grasped Allen's hand. "You know which answer I want. And I'm sure it will be that." They looked at each other steadily a moment, then settled back into their chairs. "Now about that merger," said Allen. "That's what brought me in." And Allen, who handled the legal side of many of Mr. Chambers's affairs, began to discuss certain legal details of a railroad consolidation Mr. Chambers had under consideration. The instant Allen was out of the office, the secretary announced Mr. Jordon and at Mr. Chambers's order ushered him in. Mr. Jordon, a man whom prosperity had flushed and bulked, wished Mr. Chambers good morning with that little tone of deference which a successful business man uses to a more successful business man, and seated himself in the leather-covered chair Allen had just vacated. Mr. Chambers picked up Mr. Jordon's letter from the heap on his desk. "I wanted to speak to you about the price this Mr. Rogers insists on for the land he controls," he said in his even voice. "It is at a far higher rate than we paid for the rest of the land. You've done all that's possible to get him to lower his terms?" "Everything!" For emphasis Mr. Jordon clapped two fat hands down upon two fat knees. "But he's as solid as a rock. If we were dealing with the real owners individually, it would be different. They're anxious to sell and they're all short on nerve. It's him that holds them together and keeps them braced up." "I suppose you've tried to get them to withdraw their land from his control?" "I tried that long ago. But it wouldn't work. He's promised them a big price, and he's made them believe they'll get it." "Then you think as you say here"--he laid his hand upon the letter--"that we'd better pay him what he demands and close the deal?" "I certainly do. We've got to have that land, and to get it we've got to pay his price. He knows that and he won't come down a dollar. Since we've got to pay the price in the end, I'm for paying it right now and not losing any more time in launching the company before the public." "Your reasoning is sound. But you're aware, of course, that the difference between his price and the rate we've been paying is considerably over fifty thousand?"