"We've been reading your articles with interest, Braine," he began, "but we find you've been a little misled by your enthusiasm and hopefulness." A few months earlier, Hildreth had called that sort of thing "going off at half cock," but he thought it best to be more circumspect now. "After all," he continued, "I'm to blame for it, you know, because I ought to have kept you better posted."
"Would you mind telling me just wherein I have been misled?" asked Braine, without manifesting the least concern as to the seriousness of his blunders.
"Well, you see it's this way. We haven't got control of the Southern lines yet. Van Duyn disappointed us, and—"
"Yes—well?" said Braine.
"Your saying we have secured control may bother us a little in the negotiations."
"Did I say you had got control of the Southern lines? I don't recall it."
"Certainly; you say," reading, "'a strong body of capitalists have secured control of the lines south of Columbia.'"
"I see. Well?"
"Oh, I don't know as it need be very serious. It will pass as a careless newspaper statement."
"Certainly. Call it that and lay it on my shoulders. Nobody will mind me. Well, what else?"