"And your salary?" I ventured.
"Is left out," he answered. "I mean it is if I stay here. I want to stay here, I want to put through this job if I can, you see it has taken six years of my life. And besides," he added wistfully, "in a very few weeks they'll finish the work at Panama—and the ships of the world will begin to crowd into a harbor that isn't ready here—we haven't even completed our plans. It's not a good time to stop our work. But of course if you and Eleanore get into a hole that is serious—as I said before and you'll agree, you'd have to let me help you—even if to do it I should have to give up my work for a while and take up something that will pay."
"No sir!"
"Yes sir," he replied. "Unless you can earn enough money yourself."
We looked at each other a moment.
"You know how to bring pressure, don't you?" I said.
"Yes, I'm bringing pressure. I want to see you go on as before."
"That won't be easy," I remarked.
"Shall we talk it over a little?"
"Yes."