on the day after the meeting andrew returned to ghyllside, and hilda met him at the station, her eyes sparkling with delight.
"you have won!" she cried. "antony came down last night and brought us the news. then gertrude was over this morning and could talk of nothing else. she said you were splendid, and she got quite vexed when i told her she needn't speak as if she hadn't expected it."
"after all, my position was a strong one," andrew said. "it doesn't need much skill to win the game when you hold the best cards, and of course dream mine was the ace of trumps. leonard could only throw down his hand when i brought it out."
"ah! but how did you get the ace? it wasn't by chance; you searched for it, starving, in the snow. but it's a silly metaphor—one isn't allowed to choose one's cards."
"that's true," andrew replied with a trace of gravity. "it was dealt to me—i think not by accident. without it, i should not have won the game."
hilda's manner changed, for she was seldom serious long.
"well," she said, when he had helped her into the waiting trap, "in the future you'll be called on to play a different one. you can't reasonably expect[pg 342] to find another mine, and you'll have no excuse for tramping through the wilds on snow-shoes, after this. instead of furs and moccasins, you'll have to wear a silk hat and a bond street coat, and write things in ledgers instead of firing off dynamite. how will you like it?"
"i don't know. however, i suppose it will have to be done; though i might, perhaps, hire somebody to do the writing for me."
"that would be better," hilda laughed; "your writing isn't good. but i'm afraid there's a bit of a trial in store for you to-night. all your friends and relatives in the neighborhood are coming to dinner and of course they'll congratulate you and try to look as if you hadn't astonished them. in a way, the situation is distinctly humorous."
"how so?"
hilda broke into a delighted laugh.
"can't you see it's the triumph of the foolish and looked-down-upon members of the family? you're a popular hero; antony's a director; and i'm no longer a person who needn't be considered!"
"but what had you to do with it?" andrew asked with unflattering frankness.
"i believe i pulled some strings in a humble way. you know you're not really brilliant, andrew, and i'm afraid you never will be. perhaps that's why you can't see the large part we women had in your triumph. of course, you can walk a long distance in snow-shoes and use a pickax; but who led you to think of putting the snow-shoes on?"
"graham, i believe."
"try to use some imagination! go back a little farther. who made you see that allinson's had a[pg 343] claim on you, encouraged you to go to canada, and prompted you to right that horrid contractor? can you deny that i, and ethel, and the girl in canada, now and then gave you the push you needed? indeed, i think miss frobisher must have been very firm with you."
"you're right," andrew admitted. "am i to understand that you propose to continue your supervision and assistance in my duties as the company's manager?"
"you might do worse than consult me sometimes; but you must get a good partner who knows the things you haven't learned, when leonard leaves." hilda looked up anxiously. "i suppose he is going to leave?"
"i'm inclined to think so," andrew replied with some severity. "still, i haven't seen him since the meeting. it's fortunate i know of a partner who'll make up for my deficiencies—i mean our old accountant, sharpe."
"but surely he has no money!"
"no. you may have heard that money can be valued too highly, and i believe it's true."
hilda chatted on general topics during the remainder of the drive, and soon after he got home andrew went down to receive his guests. ethel hillyard was the first to arrive, and she smiled at him as she gave him her hand.
"i have heard the news and am very glad," she said. "but it was only what i had confidently looked forward to."
"then you had a narrow escape of being badly disappointed. as a matter of fact, i owe a great deal to the staunchness of my friends. i should hardly have pulled through if they hadn't cheered me on."
"that's an easy task. it was you who made the fight."
"i had no choice," said andrew humorously.[pg 344] "there was no retreat. then i was well supported—by olcott's friend, upon whom i had no claim, among others."
"mr. murray? i don't suppose you know that you won him over by letting him miss a snipe you could have shot. it's a curious reason for giving you his confidence, isn't it? but it has struck me that in many ways you and he are alike."
"after that, i can hardly say that murray's a good sort," andrew laughed. "however, we must drop the subject, for here he comes."
he saw that murray had not noticed him but was advancing straight toward ethel, and that a faint tinge of color showed in her face. then after a word of welcome to the man he turned away.
mrs. fenwood appeared next and greeted him with more cordiality than he could remember her displaying.
"it's a gratification to see you following in your father's steps at last, though i must say that for a long time we doubted your ever doing so. one recognized that you were influenced by a very proper sense of your responsibility yesterday, and though i thought you were, perhaps, somewhat rash, robert assures me that you showed signs of business acumen."
"the trouble is that i may not be able to keep on doing so. if robert's capable of judging on such a matter, i'm afraid you'll have to be patient with me and make allowance for my wasted years."
"don't be flippant. it isn't becoming," mrs. fenwood rebuked him. "you have begun well, and it would be a grief to all of us if you relapsed again."
mrs. olcott came to his rescue and soon afterward they went in to dinner. andrew was quiet during the meal, though he felt content. the strain he had long[pg 345] borne had told on him, and a mild reaction, which brought a sense of fatigue, had set in. he wanted to rest and he had not finished with leonard yet.
it was a calm, warm evening, and though a few shaded candles threw a soft light over the table, the windows were wide open and the smoky red of the dying sunset gleamed above the shadowy hills. wannop was in a boisterous mood and hilda abetted him, apparently to robert's irritation. ethel talked to murray, who seemed gravely interested; mrs. olcott was patiently listening to mrs. fenwood; gertrude now and then made furtive attempts to check her husband. andrew looked on with languid satisfaction, and joined in only when it was necessary. presently, to his annoyance, wannop filled his glass and got up.
"you have all heard what happened in london yesterday," he said. "now that we are here together and those who have joined us are our host's good friends, it seems opportune to wish a long and useful career to the head of the house."
they rose with lifted glasses, and andrew felt a thrill as he read the good-will in their faces and knew his victory over his relatives' prejudices was complete. the toast they drank with hearty sincerity was, in a sense, an act of homage—a recognition of his authority. instead of bearing with and trying to guide him, they would henceforward follow where he led. there was a moment's silence after they sat down, and then he thanked them awkwardly.
as they left the table mrs. fenwood remarked to hilda, who was nearest her.
"it's your brother's rightful place, but he was a long time claiming it; and, after all, i don't see what leonard can have done that he should be deposed."
[pg 346]"that lies between him and andrew," hilda replied. "i think he's the only one who knows and he will never tell."
"i'm afraid i haven't appreciated andrew as he deserves," mrs. fenwood observed with a thoughtful air.
the remainder of the evening passed pleasantly, and the next day andrew received a telegram, requesting him to call on leonard at the company's offices. he declined to do so, feeling that if leonard wished to make terms, he must come to him; and he smiled when another message stated that his brother-in-law would arrive that evening. it was getting dark when leonard reached ghyllside and was shown into the library, where andrew was waiting for him.
"if you will let your man keep the horse ready i could catch the new night train back from the junction," he said. "that would, perhaps, suit both of us best."
"as you wish," responded andrew.
leonard laid some papers on the table.
"you made me an offer a little while ago."
"which you refused," said andrew.
"i did; things have changed since then."
"they have. though i told the secretary to take care that only a very brief notice of the meeting was sent to the papers, news of what took place has, no doubt, leaked out. it was impossible to prevent this from happening, and it must have had some effect in the city. you are afraid it will damage your prestige and weaken your position."
"i'm not prepared to admit that altogether."
"it can't be denied. you no longer command public confidence as you did. you'll find it has been rudely shaken."
[pg 347]"we'll let that subject drop. i must remind you that your father's will and the partnership deed prevent your getting rid of me unless i'm willing to go."
andrew regarded him with amusement.
"i can't deny it, but i think you will be willing. however, i'd better say that i don't wish to take an undue advantage of the situation. what do you propose?"
"that you buy me out, as you offered. i've sketched out the terms—you'll find them here, with an estimate of my average profits and what my interest in the firm is worth."
he pushed the papers across the table and andrew carefully studied them before he looked up.
"the fairest way would be to submit these figures to an outside accountant. as soon as he has made up a statement, i'll meet you at carter & roding's office and get them to draw up any documents that are needed to annul our partnership. are you agreeable?"
"yes; we'll consider the thing decided." leonard hesitated for a moment. "i don't see," he added, "that you will gain anything by letting florence and the others know exactly what we differed about."
"i quite agree with you. there are reasons enough to account for the split—the incompatibility of our views on business matters, your objection to taking a subordinate place. even at the cost of allowing florence to blame me, the truth must be kept from her."
"thank you!" said leonard. "i believe i've said all that's needful, and i may as well be off. it's a long drive to the junction."
andrew let him go. he had accomplished all that he had laid himself out to do: gained his relatives' confidence, reorganized the mining company, and got[pg 348] rid of leonard, who had been a menace to the good name of allinson's. it had been easier than he expected; the task he had shrunk from had become less formidable when boldly attacked, though he admitted that fortune had favored him. henceforward he was his own master, the acknowledged head of allinson's, and that brought with it a deep sense of responsibility. nevertheless, he no longer felt daunted, for he had gained self-confidence. there were many things of which he was ignorant; but they could be learned. then he remembered that he must go back to canada for a while after he had arranged matters with leonard and had thoroughly informed himself about allinson's affairs.
it was a month before he could get away, and wannop drove to the station with him. when he shook hands as the train came in he smiled.
"bring her back with you. then the credit of the allinson family will be in safe hands."
"i'll try," andrew promised. "i wish i felt more sure of succeeding; but i wasn't thinking of the credit of the family."
"that's the proper line to take," wannop answered, smiling, as he stood with his hand on the carriage door. "don't be timid. i'm inclined to think you have done more difficult things."
he made room for hilda and pulled her back as the train started, and they stood waving their hands until the last carriage vanished into a tunnel.
"andrew needs some encouraging," he remarked. "when there's anything to be gained for himself, he's too diffident; but perhaps it's a good fault, and by no means common."
"though he talked a good deal about the mine, we[pg 349] all know why he's going back," said hilda. "i suppose you are satisfied about this miss frobisher?"
"so far as my opinion goes, she's what you might call eminently suitable. if i had any doubt on the matter andrew's firm conviction would decide me. though it was a long time before the family realized it, his judgment is to be relied on."
"yes," agreed hilda; "in some things, he is really very sensible."
when andrew reached the lake of shadows he found carnally awaiting him with a satisfactory account of the progress of development work on the lode, and they spent some time talking over it in andrew's room at the hotel.
"jake, are you willing to take the post of our general manager in canada?" andrew asked.
"under hathersage, as boss director?"
"no, under me. hathersage has left the firm for good."
"then i'll be proud to take it," said carnally quietly.
"it's yours. you haven't asked about the stipend."
"that's so," carnally drawled. "i guess i can leave you to do the square thing." then his eyes twinkled. "i've kept you here some time talking business, and it strikes me you're anxious to get away. you'll find a skiff ready, and i'd like to wish you good luck."
"thanks," responded andrew soberly. "perhaps you had better wait until i come back."
he hurried to the beach and rowed across the lake with steady, determined strokes, and it happened, but not by accident, that geraldine was waiting on the lawn. she had seen a trail of engine smoke drift across the pines an hour earlier, and at last a skiff shoot out across the sparkling water. as it drew near the landing she[pg 350] felt tempted to retreat to the house, but she waited, and the color crept into her face when andrew took her hand in a masterful grasp.
"i think you know why i have come," he said at once.
"no doubt you had mining matters to arrange," she answered with an attempt at light raillery, though her heart was beating fast.
"i had; they have kept me since the train came in, and i never grudged loss of time so much; but i felt that i required something to steady me before i rowed across. the fact is, i felt extremely anxious."
"anxious? you knew you would be welcome."
"to be welcomed as i was sent away didn't seem enough." andrew held fast the hand she had given him. "you were very gracious and i knew what i owed to you, but you kept something back, and it was that i wanted. i told you how i had got on in england, but i'm afraid i haven't learned to stand on my own feet yet. you know how you have helped me so far; won't you do so altogether?"
"if i remember, i said it was criticism you needed," geraldine answered softly, looking down.
"that or censure; whatever it is, it will be right if it comes from you." andrew's voice grew tense as he drew her nearer. "i ask for the greatest gift; i need you, geraldine."
she yielded, looking up at him swiftly with eyes that shone, and then turned her head, which sank until it rested on his shoulder. it was getting dusk; the scent of the pines stole out of the shadows and the call of a loon came ringing to them over the water, as if in blessing.
