In the large back office the clerks were gathered in small groups discussing it. Work was suspended.
“Hey!” shouted Handbow. “We’re going to celebrate to-night. A little dinner, with, at the Café Boulevard. Will you come?”
The reckless spirit of calamity was catching. I felt it. Even the shabby old furniture took on an irresponsible, vagabond appearance. Solvency, like a scolding, ailing, virtuous wife, was dead and buried. Nobody could help it. Now anything might happen. The moment was full of excitement. There was no boy in the reception room. I sat down at my desk, got up, took a turn about the president’s office, and was thinking I should lock up the place and go out to lunch when I happened to notice that the Board Room door was ajar. In the act of closing it I was startled by the sight of a solitary figure at the head of the long directors’ table. Though his back was to me I recognized him at once. It was Galt. He had slid far down in the chair and was sitting on the end of his spine, legs crossed, hands in his pockets. He might have been asleep. While I hesitated he suddenly got to his feet and began to walk to and fro in a state of excitement. The character of his thoughts appeared in his gestures. His phantasy was that of imposing his will upon a group of men, not easily, but in a very ruthless way.
“Are you running the Great Midwestern?” I asked, pushing the door open.
Starting, he looked at me vaguely, as one coming out of a dream, and said:
“Yes.”
He asked if I had been present at the meeting and was then anxious to know all that had taken place, even the most trivial detail.
“And now,” I said, when I was unable to remember anything more, “please tell me what will happen to the Great Midwestern?”
“Nothing,” he said. “The court will appoint old rhinoceros receiver, and—”
“Mr. Valentine, you mean?”