"The Board of Directors of the M. & N.'s all right," Hallett reassured him.
"Perhaps. But then, too, there is this new reform element in town. Talk of a fusion movement: a fourth candidate for District-Attorney—— They will be only too eager to get hold of something, and this terrible accident—— It will give them just what they want."
"They can't elect."
"I am not so sure. The people—they aren't what they used to be. Something—I don't know what—has taken possession of them."
Hallett bobbed assent to that.
"Yes," he said, "nowadays as soon as a man gets a vote he stops minding his own business. But we've still got our grip on the wires."
"They may break." Rivington's fingers returned to their tugging at his mustache. "The wires, I mean. It's ugly. Twenty-five dead and a hundred hurt——"
"We didn't hurt 'em."
Rivington looked toward the man at the head of the table, but he sat crouched and silent.
"No," said Rivington; "but——" His sentence ended in a helpless waving of the hand.