What's your basis of applying freight rates, anyhow ?" he suddenly vociferated with furious sarcasm.

"What's your rule?
What are you guided by ?" But at the words, S.Behrman, who had kept silent during the heat of the discussion, leaned abruptly forward.

For the only time in his knowledge, Dyke saw his face inflamed with anger and with the enmity and contempt of all this farming element with whom he was contending.
"Yes, what's your rule?
What's your basis ?" demanded Dyke, turning swiftly to him.
S.Behrman emphasised each word of his reply with a tap of one forefinger on the counter before him: "All--the--traffic--will--bear." The ex-engineer stepped back a pace, his fingers on the ledge of the counter, to steady himself.

He felt himself grow pale, his heart became a mere leaden weight in his chest, inert, refusing to beat.
In a second the whole affair, in all its bearings, went speeding before the eye of his imagination like the rapid unrolling of a panorama.

Every cent of his earnings was sunk in this hop business of his.