The road has been well managed and"-- here he looked significantly in Ryder's direction--"there has been a big brain behind the manager.
We owe you that credit, Mr.Ryder!" Cries of "Hear! Hear!" came from all round the table.
Ryder bowed coldly, and Mr.Grimsby continued: "But during the last year or two things have gone wrong.

There has been a lot of litigation, most of which has gone against us, and it has cost a heap of money.

It reduced the last quarterly dividend very considerably, and the new complication--this Auburndale suit, which also has gone against us--is going to make a still bigger hole in our exchequer.

Gentlemen, I don't want to be a prophet of misfortune, but I'll tell you this--unless something is done to stop this hostility in the courts you and I stand to lose every cent we have invested in the road.

This suit which we have just lost means a number of others.