It was his opinion that the head-surveyor
was incompetent, that he was obstinately rejecting the best routes
in favour of others which were almost impossible.
Montague had taken this gossip to his father, but he did not know
whether his father had ever looked into the matter. He only knew
that when the project for the proposed extension had been brought up
at a stockholders' meeting, the cost of the work was found so great
that it was impossible to raise the money. A proposal to go to the
Mississippi Steel Company was voted down, because Mississippi Steel
was in the hands of Wall Street men; and neither Judge Dupree nor
General Montague had realised at that time the hopelessness of the
plight of the little railroad.
All these matters were brought up in the conversation between Lucy
and Montague. There was no reason, he assured her, why they should
still hold on to their stock; if, by the proposed extension, or by
any other plan, new capitalists could make a success of the company,
it would be well to make some combination with them.
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