e cause of it! So her father and Austen Vane had quarrelled from
the first.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to be insolent," she said, in a low voice. "He
isn't at all that sort."

"I don't know what sort he is, except that he isn't my sort," Mr. Flint
retorted, intent upon the subject which had kindled his anger earlier in
the day. "I don't pretend to understand him. He could probably have been
counsel for the road if he had behaved decently. Instead, he starts in
with suits against us. He's hit upon something now."

The president of the Northeastern dug savagely into the ground with his
stick, and suddenly perceived that his daughter had her face turned away
from his, towards the mountain.

"Well, I won't bore you with that."

She turned with a look in her eyes that bewildered him.

"You're not--boring me," she said.

"I didn't intend to go into all that," he explained more calmly, "but the
last few days have been trying, we've got to expect the wind to blow from
all directions."

Victoria smiled at him faintly.

"I have told you," she said, "that what you need is a trip abroad.
Perhaps some day you will remember it."

"Maybe I'll go in the autumn," he answered, smiling back at her. "These
little flurries don't amount to anything more than mosquito-bites--only
mosquitoes are irritating. You and I understand each other, Victoria, and
now listen. I'll give you the broad view of this subject, the view I've
got to take, and I've lived in the world and seen more of it than some
folks 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 strives to do his duty by the road. My business is to run
the Northeastern as economically as is consistent with good service and
safety, and to give the stockholders the best return for their money. I
am the steward--and so long as I am the steward," he exclaimed, "I'm
going to do what I think is right, taking into consideration all the
difficulties that confront me."

He got up and took a turn or two on the pine-needles. Victoria regarded
him in silence. He appeared to her at that moment the embodiment of the
power he represented. Force seemed to emanate from him, and she
underst