Hilmar: But the decisive battle has not been fought yet.
Bernick: In the matter of the railway, do you mean?
Hilmar: Yes; I suppose you know the trouble that Hammer is
brewing?
Bernick (anxiously): No, what is that?
Hilmar: Oh, he is greatly taken up with the rumour that is going
around, and is preparing to dish up an article about it.
Bernick: What rumour?
Hilmar: About the extensive purchase of property along the branch
line, of course.
Bernick: What? Is there such a rumour as that going about?
Hilmar: It is all over the town. I heard it at the club when I
looked in there. They say that one of our lawyers has quietly
bought up, on commission, all the forest land, all the mining
land, all the waterfalls--
Bernick: Don't they say whom it was for?
Hilmar: At the club they thought it must be for some company, not
connected with this town, that has got a hint of the scheme you
have in hand, and has made haste to buy before the price of these
properties went up. Isn't it villainous?--ugh!
Bernick: Villainous?
Hilmar: Yes, to have strangers putting their fingers into our
pie--and one of our own local lawyers lending himself to such a
thing! And now it will be outsiders that will get all the
profits!
Bernick: But, after all, it is only an idle rumour.
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