Maturin's absurdly pessimistic."
"He's a great man, isn't he?"
"Oh, yes, I suppose so,--he's got a great reputation anyhow."
"And he's against you?"
"The fact is that his is only--only a draft report. So far as it goes,
it's not encouraging, but he's never had the facts really laid before
him."
"You'd better go and lay them before him," she said very gravely.
Quisante caught eagerly at the suggestion.
"Exactly what I proposed to Mandeville!" he cried. "The prospectus won't
be out for nearly a month yet, and I shall go and see Maturin. I
know----" He rose and began to walk about. "I know Maturin is wrong, and
I know that I can show him he's wrong. I only want an hour with him to
bring him round to my view, to the true view."
"Well, why haven't you been to see him?"
"I tried to go, but he's ill and not equal to business. As soon as he
gets better I shall go. To put his report in as it stands would not only
do us infinite harm--in fact we couldn't think of it--but it wouldn't be
just to him."
"But if he won't change his opinion?"
"Oh, he must, he will.
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