And what made it extraordinarily clever – as only Sterling could be – was that this project would not even be a struggle as such. They would not have to defeat any adversary or overcome any obstacle – merely ride along with certain inexorable trends. All they – all Sterling – had to do was notice these trends. He'd always had a talent for noticing – which was why his shops were so highly thought of – so all he needed was to be in the right place to do the necessary noticing, and the right place was obviously Mrs. Green's coffee-house.