For a moment the man contemplated the simple radiant creature beside
him. She was so transparently happy. And the sight of her happiness
satisfied him.

"It'll--astonish him, eh?"

"Astonish him?" Nancy laughed. "That doesn't say a thing. I shouldn't
wonder if he refused to believe me."

"And you'll get--promotion? Promotion--in Skandinavia?"

The girl's eyes sobered on the instant.

"Surely. Why not?"

"Yes. Why not?"

Just for a moment Nancy hesitated. Then her challenge came incisively.

"What do you mean?"

But the man smilingly shook his head.

"You want promotion under Peterman--in the Skandinavia?"

Nancy's eyes widened.

"Why shouldn't I? The Skandinavia's everything to me. It ought to be
everything. Isn't that so? Now, I wonder what you mean?" she went on,
after the briefest pause. "Are you talking that way just because you are
a rival concern?" She shook her head. "That's no affair of mine. But
wait while I tell you. Try and think yourself a young girl without folks
that count, with a pretty tough world laid out in front of her, and with
a healthy desire to dress, and eat the same as any other girl of her
age. She's given a chance in life to make good, to gather round her all
those things she needs, by--the Skandinavia. Well, how would you feel?
Wouldn't you want that--promotion? Yes. I want it. I want it with all my
heart. The Skandinavia gave me my first start. They've been very, very
good to me. I've big room in my heart for them. Their work's my work all
the time. I've nothing but gratitude for Mr. Peterman."

"Yes." Bull's smile had passed. He was thinking of Nancy's feeling of
gratitude towards the Swede--Peterman.

He turned away, and the grey wintry daylight beyond the window seemed to
absorb him. He was possessed by a mad desire to fling prudence to the
winds and then and there point out the wrong he felt she was committing
against the country that had bred her in spending her life in the
service of these foreigners. But he knew he must refrain. It was not the
moment. And somehow he felt she was not the girl to listen patiently to
such ethics as he preached when their force was directed against those
who claimed her whole loyalty and gratitude.

To Nancy it seemed as though some shadow had arisen between them. She
was a little troubled at the thing she had said. But somehow she had no
desire to withdraw a single word of it.

The car had passed out of the old part of the city. A