Once we hear Francisco and Dagny in a future chapter having a similar conversation, we get the picture much more clearly.
Next week, at the trial of Hank Rearden, we see the effects of Fransicso's speech on Hank. It's almost as if the seduction were a prelude to Hank's taking a public stand. It connects the dots more easily.
For many of Rand's fans, this book seems to have led them to a turning point in their lives. Although I already was on-board with many of her views (on private industry and the free market), and even though I disagree with her on at least one issue (adultery), there were other points she made in this book that led me to stop and think and come to a realization...
One of those points was that, if a man's enemies can bring him down using his morality against him, that man must be a moral person. (I'm using the term "man" here in a general sense. That statement applies to everyone, both man and woman.)
Looking forward to next week's chapter.