And the incident slipped from John Barclay's mind, and the web of the spider grew stronger and stronger in his brain, but it cast a shadow that was to reach across his life.
After Hendricks went from his office that morning, Barclay bounded back, like a boy at play, to the vision of controlling the flour market.

He saw the waving wheat of Garrison County coming to the railroad, and he knew that his railroad rates were so low that the miller on the Sycamore could not ship a pound of flour profitably, and Barclay's mind gradually comprehended that through railroad rates he controlled the mill, and could buy it at his leisure, upon his own terms.

Then the whole scheme unfolded itself before his closed eyes as he sat with his head tilted back and pillowed in his hands.

If his railroad concession made it possible for him to underbid the miller at the Ridge, why could he not get other railroad concessions and underbid every miller along the line of the Corn Belt road, by dividing profits with the railroad officials?
As he spun out his vision, he could hear the droning voices of General Ward and Colonel Culpepper in the next room; but he did not heed them.
They were discussing the things of the day,--indeed, the things of a fortnight before, to be precise,--the reception given by the Culpeppers to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary.

The windows were open, and Barclay could hear the men's voices, and he knew vaguely that they were talking of Lige Bemis.