Mr. Crewe's Career -- Volume 2

nded, and a prophet in Judea less. And yet into him who sits in the seat of power a premonition of something impending gradually creeps-a premonition which he will not a

orthy of recognition by the opposition of a legion. But th

n to the foot of the throne, and his thoughts as he climbed the ridges towards Fairview were not in harmony with the carols of the birds in the depths of the forest and the joy of the bright June weather. Loneliness he had felt before, and to its ills he had applied the antidote of labour. The burden that sat

ul with a capital likewise, and certainly no higher recognition could be desired than this! Never in the Honourable Hilary's long, laborious, and preeminently model existence had he realized that happiness is harmony. It would not be true to assert that, on this wonderful June day, a glimmering of this truth dawned upon him. Such a statement would be open to the charge of exaggeration, and his frame of mind was pessimisti

nge, retrospective mood which had come over him this afternoon led his thoughts into strange paths, and he found himself wondering if, after all, it had not been in his power to make her happier. Her dryad-like face, with its sweet, elusive smile, seemed to peer at him now wistfully out of the forest, and suddenly a new and startling thought rose up within him-after six and thirty years

ents were becoming recognized. Was it possible that he, Hilary Vane, could have been one of those referred to by the Preacher? During the week which had passed since Austen's departure the house in Hanover Street had been haunted for H

ur Austen was wont to drive Pepper to the Ripton House stables across the square, Hilary had contrived to be standing near his windows-a little back, and out of si

with the white clusters behind her. She turned her head at the sound of the wheels and looked at him; the distance was not too great for a bow, but Hilary did not bow. Something in her face deterred him from this act,-something which he himself did not understand or define. He sought to pronounce the incident negligible. What was the girl, or her look, to him? And yet (he found himself strangely thinking) he had read in her eyes a trace of the riddle whic

ad president. Entering the oak-bound sanctum, he crossed it and took a seat by the window, merely nodding to Mr. Flint, who was dictating a letter. Mr. Flint took his time about the letter, but when it was finished he dismissed the stenograph

?" he

answered the Ho

e to keep freight cars on it to hold it down, and somebody is trying to make trouble by writing a publi

ry, again, "that won't have any inf

pox. Another jackass pretends to have kept a table of the through trains on the Sumsic division, and says they've

for that road then. I read that letter. He says there isn't an

lemen appeared to deem

understand," said Mr. Flint, "i

't get 'em," replied M

"I suppose they'll tell us we ought to rock ballast that line. You

lawn and forest framed by the window. For the sake of the ignorant, it may be

to that" (here the railroad president snapped his fingers with

ising," said the

" Mr. Flint remarked ac

him. He's a natura

ch of so-called Northeastern methods in forty weekly newspapers this week, with a p

waved the

. Flint demanded. Had he lived in another age he might hav

m of the press, and their right to take political advertising. Crewe's matter is in the form of a despatch, and most of 'em pointed out at the top of the editor

ing," said Mr. Flint. ("Off with the

ht make capital out of it. I think you'll find tha

occurred to me might be distributed for editorial purposes next week. And, by the way, what have you done about that

le Hilary sh

observed. "I guess h

of his bag. But when these were finally disposed of, Mr. Flint led the conversation back to the Honourable

" Mr. Flint declared contemptuously. "Sometime

im," said Mr. Vane; "

shed this dis

rritably, "and le

grow red. In former days Mr. Flint h

s I have frequently drawn your attention to that section of the act of consolidation which

lint, impatiently,

, "you disregarded my advice, and the rate

o croak. What do you want me to do? Put all the rates back because this ups

dug it up,"

the las

e cried. "What are

he Honourable Hilary; "

to bring suit un

is hands in his pockets,

ot a case?"

said Mr. Vane. "I'm not prepared

sured the roo

ool Hammer stum

they say he's got Bright's diseas

"my son," which did not escape Mr. Flint. The railroad president walked slowly to the arm of the chair in which his chief

stablished decency and order! He's out for cheap political preferment, too, is he? By thunder! I thought that he had some such thing in his mind when he came in here and threw his pass in my face and to

lary, when confronting an angry man, to gr

to control h

ouldn't," reto

ting it," replied the Honou

went to the window, where he stood for some time with his

voice, "you've said some things to-day that I won't forge

o," Mr. Flin

mean action. He's be'n wild, but he's always told me the truth. I've done him injustice a good many times, but I won't stand up and listen to another man do him injustice." Here he paus

business relations for over a quarter of a century, a man upon whose judgment he had always relied implicitly, who had been a strong fortress in time of trouble. Suc

a sound sleep in his cabin, with peculiar and unpleasant sensations, which he gradually disco

with his bag, was halfw

in three strides and

emper got the best of me. You and I have been good friends for too many years for us to part this way.

d pulled out a handkerchief, and mopped

nly three or four times in their long friendsh

h an announcement would have! Everybody knows and respects you, and we can't do without your advice and counsel. But I won't put it o

gan to cut a piece of Honey Dew, but his hand shook. It was di

ght," h

of her mother's sitting room, saw her father come out bareheaded into the sun an

angely compelling song of the hermit-thrush, which made her breathe quickly; the summer wind, stirring wantonly, was prodigal with perfumes gathered from the pines and the sweet June

in the country and a stick in his hand. Without raising his eyes, he started slowly across the lawn; and to Victoria, leaning forward intently over the balcony rail, there seemed an unwonted lack of purpose in his movements. Usually he struck out briskly in the direction of the pastures where his prize Gue

is asleep,

Oliver," Victoria answered, and the nurse

aused involuntarily to wonder again at the ultramarine of Sawanec through the upright columns of the trunks under the high canopy of boughs. The grove was on a plateau, which was cut on the side nearest the mountain by the line o

you were going for a walk

he stooped quickly, picked it up for

ct to go, Victor

seless to try to slip away.

mother feeli

better to me since she'

at the mountain w

think you ought to stay up here at

' meeting of a trust company to-morrow

head, smiling at hi

and live the rest of your life in peace? You've got-money enough, and even if you haven't," she added, with the little quiver of earnestn

steadfast, searching stare that held, n

Victoria?" he demanded, waving his sti

raised her eyes to the g

you remember what good times we had in the farmhouse,

id Mr. Fl

"It's only a little drive and a walk, now an

ily, and made an atte

peech seemingly failed him. Victori

't we?"

ing his words with difficulty. "I find myself with

don't you

l I could give it up. I've always said that you had more

erstand," sa

aimed their truth in spite of his determined doubt. In he

u're saying," he exclaimed

rather the power that i

amination; he had never analyzed his motives. He had had little to do with women, except Victoria. The Rose of Sharon knew him as the fountainhead from which authority and money flowed, but Victoria, since her childhood, had been his refuge from care, and in the haven of her companionship he had lost himself for brief moments of his life. She was the one being he really loved, with whom he consulted on such affairs of importance as he felt to be w

Flint's idea of her sex,-and it never occurred to him that she could enter into the larger problems of his life. For this reason he had never asked himself wh

er transformed, a new personality who had been thinking, a

ted. "What do you mea

disconcerting. What had happened to his daughter? He little guessed the tumult in her breast. She herself co

or men to love p

, uneasily. "I don't know what

es and fortunes of a

a dash at this opening; "my responsibilitie

you are old, father," she continued, "but you have worked v

interests in the Northeastern. But I know the road and its problems. I don't understand this from you, Victoria. It doesn't sound like you.

ctoria, in the

ted people who have made failures of their lives

l disappointed and discon

at question? You, my own daughter, about pe

most of them are not," said Victoria. "I don't think the-what y

ressibly amazed. He

Do you mean to say that you, my own da

orry you, I didn't mean to bring up that subject to-

ained firmly plan

to bring up the subje

down again. "I have often wa

you heard?" dem

er cheek, but her father was

l, and I hear people talking,-farmers, and labourers, and peopl

Mr. Flint, leaning forward

, turning over the

am merely repeati

"I want to know how far this

se that go to the Legislature, and that-Hilary Vane gets them elected. They say that he manages a political machine-that's the right word, isn't it?-for you. And that no laws can be passed of which you do not approve. And they say that

, glanced at her in astonishment. The arraignment betrayed a

a," he said, "you ough

rey C

womanly gesture, and

ing you-what I

ople don't all seem to be dishonest men or charlatans. So

ad some business experience to grasp it. I don't mean to say you're not intelligent, but I'm at a loss where to begin with you. Looked at from their limited poin

rewe," said Victoria. Mr. Flint

d associates -making trouble. He's bitten with this thing, too, and he's got some brains in his head. Why," exclaimed Mr. Flin

oria faltered, dra

the lookout for him. I sent him a pass once, and he came up here

w she had wondered about the cause of it! So her fa

nsolent," she said, in a low voi

ad kindled his anger earlier in the day. "I don't pretend to understand him. He could probably have been counsel

ound with his stick, and suddenly perceived that his daugh

n't bore yo

look in her eyes t

-boring me,

re calmly, "but the last few days have been trying, we

miled at h

said, "that what you

day you will

who think they know it all. I am virtually the trustee for thousands of stockholders, many of whom are widows and orphans. These people are innocent; they rely on my ability, and my honesty, for their incomes. Few men who have not had experience in railroad management know one-tenth of the difficulties and obstructions encountered by a railroad president who str

that moment the embodiment of the power he represented. Force seemed to emanate from him, and she understood

ty holder in the State, pays the biggest tax, and has the most at stake. The politicians could ruin us in a single session of the Legislature-and what's more, they would do it. We'd have to be paying blackmail all the time to prevent measures that would compel us to go out of business. This is a fact, and not a theory. What little influence I exert politically I have to maintain in order to protect the property of my stockholders from annihilation. It isn't

ve that of the people I see about here! They

gave a s

fool 'em. Take Leith, for instance. There's a man over there who has controlled every office in that town f

I saw him at Humphrey

lint, "and I guess Humphrey C

ng too vast for her. And moreover, as she well knew, Mr. Flint was a man whom other men could not easily answer; he bore them down, even as he had borne her down. Involuntarily her mind turned to Austen, and she wondered what he had said; she wondered how he would have answered her father-whether he could have answered him. And she knew not what to think. Could it be right, in a position of power and responsibi

d she really know of Austen Vane? But her soul cried out treason at this, and she found herself repeating, with intensity, "I believe in him! I believe in him!" She would have given worlds to have been able to stand up before her fa

side? Fresh from the inevitably deep impressions which her father's personality had stamped upon

ted the combatants in a struggle which was going on in her own breast. Her father himself, instinctively, had chosen Austen Vane for his antagonist without knowing that she had