On their part, Noghes and Loscertales agreed that it is of significance for China to bid for the world exposition and Shanghai's bidding work has been well done so far.

But, as he proceeded, a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe, and never set him free again, until he had done all its bidding.

It is still likely to lay-off thousands of workers but probably far fewer than Fiat would have done if it had won the bidding.