"What were you talking about at dinner last night?"
"It was about a merger. I'm in International Cotton, too. One of Enstone's concerns was Cosmopolitan Textiles. His shares were standing high and ours aren't doing too well, and we thought that if we could induce him to amalgamate it would help us."
"What did Enstone think about that?"
Hammel spread his hands.
"He didn't think there was enough in it for him. We had certain things to offer, but he decided they weren't sufficient."
"There wasn't any bad feeling about it?"
"Why, no. If all the business men who have refused to combine with each at different times became enemies, there'd hardly be two men in the City on speaking terms."
Simon cleared his throat.
"What was your first important job, Mr. Hammel?" he queried.
Hammel turned his eyes without moving his head.