“I will pay it now,” said the witness, with a strong rising inflection of the voice and looking hard at the Union Pacific people in the room.
“I offered them a million, but they would not let me out of the room until I had signed an agreement to carry out the consolidation.”
“Where is that paper?”
“I suppose it is in Boston. If I could have carried out my Missouri Pacific plan I would have a property now that would be worth par.”
“I don’t think you have any reason to complain of your profits in the matter,” replied Mr. Anderson, at which Mr. Gould partly closed his eyes to hide their twinkle, and said nothing.
The paper which he signed was an agreement to carry out the consolidation on certain terms. The consolidation was an assured fact after January 15, because the witness held the controlling interest.
“But I have now ceased to be the tower of the Union Pacific,” he said.
In asking Mr. Gould about his connection with Lawyer Holmes at the time of the consolidation, Mr. Anderson asked him whether he was sure about a certain conversation.
“Yes,” he said, “for I had it impressed on my mind.”
“How was that?”