The young lady returned and announced that the two owners would be glad to receive the eminent Atlantan. Bunny and Matthew entered the office marked "Private."
Hands were shaken, greetings exchanged and then Matthew got right down to business. He had received contributions from these two mill owners so to a certain extent they understood one another.
"Gentlemen," he queried, "is it true that your employees are planning to strike next week?"
"So ve haff heardt," puffed the corpulent, under-sized Blickdoff.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?"
"De uszual t'ing, uff coarse," replied Hortzenboff, who resembled a beer barrel on stilts.
"You can't do the usual thing," warned Matthew. "Most of these people are members of the Knights of Nordica. They are looking to us for protection and we mean to give it to them."
"Vy ve t'ought you vas favorable," exclaimed Blickdoff.
"Und villing to be reasonable," added Hortzenboff.
"That's true," Matthew agreed, "but you're squeezing these people too hard."