ome along down with me instead. He seemed
keen set to discuss this thing with you."

"I see. Keen set, eh? Keen set to talk with me?"

The man shook his head. It was not denial. It was the questioning of
something left unspoken.

The girl became anxious. Somehow a sense of disappointment was stirring.

"Is there anything wrong?" she asked at last, as the man remained
silent.

Peterman shook his head again.

"Not a thing, my dear," he said. "No. You've done everything. You
couldn't have done more if--if you'd been the most experienced woman
schemer in big business. You went up to prepare the ground for our
business. Well, you prepared it in a way I'd never have guessed. You've
brought this hard business head, Bull Sternford, right down out of his
fortress to meet us on our business proposition. Guess only you could
have done that." He laughed. "And this man saved your life, eh? And he
carried you in his arms to--safety. Say he was lucky. That's something
any man would be crazy to do. Well, well, I--"

He rose from his chair and passed round to the window where he stood
with back turned. Nancy's gaze followed him. For all his praise she was
disturbed.

The man at the window saw nothing of that upon which he gazed. His eyes
were unsmiling now that the girl could no longer observe them. They were
the eyes of a man of unbridled jealous fury. They were burning with an
insensate hatred for the man who had hitherto been only a stranger rival
in business.

Oh, he understood. Was it likely that this Bull Sternford was going to
yield for a business proposition in this fashion at the request of a
formidable rival? Was he going to change all his plans at the bidding of
the Skandinavia, and seize the first boat to come and tell them he was
prepared to fall for any plans they might design to beat him? Not
likely. No. It was the girl he had fallen for. He had changed his plans
for her, and for his nerve he had reaped a harvest such as he, Peterman,
had never reaped. He had held this beautiful creature in his arms, this
innocent, red-haired child, whom he, Peterman, had marked down for his
own. For how long? And she was all unconscious. Oh, it was maddening,
infuriating. And--

Suddenly he came back to the desk. Nancy was relieved as she beheld the
familiar smiling kindness in his eyes.

"Well, my dear. I can't tell you how delighted I am to get you back," he
said, pausing at her side. "My work's not been by any means sati