Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter IV
ButLymanverypolitelyprotested,addressinghisfatherpunctiliouslyas“Mr.Chairman,”andtheotherranchersas“GentlemenoftheExecutiveCommitteeoftheLeague.”Hehadnowish,hesaid,todisarrangetheregularproceedingsoftheCommittee.Woulditnotbepreferabletodeferthereadingofhisreporttill“newbusiness”wascalledfor?Inthemeanwhile,lettheCommitteeproceedwithitsusualwork.Heunderstoodthenecessarilydelicatenatureofthiswork,andwouldbepleasedtowithdrawtillthepropertimearrivedforhimtospeak.
“Gooddealofbackingandfillingaboutthereadingofacolumnoffigures,”mutteredAnnixtertothemanathiselbow.
Lyman“awaitedtheCommittee’sdecision.”Hesatdown,touchingtheendsofhismustache.
“Oh,playball,”growledAnnixter.
Gethingsrosetosaythatasthemeetinghadbeencalledsolelyforthepurposeofhearingandconsideringthenewgraintariff,hewasoftheopinionthatroutinebusinesscouldbedispensedwithandtheschedulereadatonce.Itwassoordered.
Lymanroseandmadealongspeech.VolubleasOstermanhimself,he,nevertheless,hadathiscommandavastnumberofready-madephrases,thestaplesofapoliticalspeaker,thestockintradeofthecommerciallawyer,whichrolledoffhistonguewiththemostpersuasivefluency.