and farm. The trouble with you is that you can't see the difference
between a good proposition and a bad one. That's why you bought this
ranch on say-so. That's why now you're turning down my offer. You
either jump without first looking, or you wait until it's too late.
You don't pay attention strictly to what's immediately under your
hand, but waste your energy wondering if you can't get rich from
something out of your reach. That's what has been the trouble with you
in the sheep business, I imagine. Here when I offer you a farm for a
ranch that's slipping through your fingers, you at once get greedy.
Most of the time you don't know your own mind; you hesitate and
speculate and vacillate and worry. Why, you deserve to lose your ranch
and your sheep and everything else. And your wife suffers for your
faults! You're a failure, and you've dragged her down with you. If
you're not a failure, and a fool, too, go bring her back into this
room and tell her you're going to make this trade, so you two will
have a farm and the home she wants and so her mind will be easy once
more. You've been thinking of only yourself long enough; now begin to
think of her comfort and happiness."

Stevenson came angrily to his feet.

"No man ever talked to me like that before, I'll have you know!" he
cried.

The engineer kept his place, with no change of countenance.

"Well, one has talked to you like that now and I'm the man," he said.
"And I don't retract a word. It's the truth straight from the
shoulder. What are you going to do about it? Why, nothing, just
nothing. Because I've talked cold, hard facts, and you know it."