“Whereishenow？“enquiredRupert。
“Oh，Ifancyaboutthere，somewhere，“repliedVic，rememberingthathehadseenMcNishmovingtowardthedoor。“Bettergoandlookhimupandgetmoreparticulars。Mighthelpsome，youknow。“
“Oh，Adrien，letusgotoher，“saidPatricia。“IamsureAnnettewouldlovetohaveyou。PoorAnnette！“
“Oh！Isay！“interposedVichurriedly。“Thereisreallynonecessity。Ishouldn’tliketointrudeinfamilyaffairsandthatsortofthing，youknowwhatImean。“
Adrien’sgrave，quieteyeswereuponVic’sface。“Youthinkwehadbetternotgo，then，“shesaidslowly。
“Surething！“repliedVic，withcheerfuloptimism。“Thereisnonecessity——slightaccident——noneedtomakeafussaboutit。“
“Butyousaiditwasaseriousaccident——aterriblething，“saidPatricia。
“Oh，now，Patricia，comeoutofit。Youcheckafellowupsohard。
Can’tyouunderstandtheJohnnywassodeucedlyworkedupoverithecouldn’tgivemetherightofit。Dashitall！Let’shaveanotherturn，Patricia！“
ButAdriensaid:“Ithinkwewillgohome，Hugh。“
“Verywell，ifyouthinkso，Adrien。Idon’tfancyyouneedworryoverAnnette。Theaccidentprobablyisseriousbutnotdangerous。
Tonyisatoughfellow。“
“Exactly！“exclaimedVic。“JustasIhavebeentellingyou。
Serious，butnotdangerous。Atleast，thatwastheimpressionI
got。“
“Oh，Vic，youaresoterriblyconfusing！“exclaimedPatricia。“Whycan’tyougetthingsstraight？Isay，Adrien，wecanrideroundtoAnnette’sonourwayhome，andthenwewillgetthingsquiteclearly。“
“Certainly，“saidHugh。“Itwillonlytakeusaminute。Eh，what！“headdedtoVic，whowasmakingfranticgrimacesathim。
“Well，ifyouladieswillgetyourthings，wewillgo。“
“ButIamsodisappointed，“saidPatriciatoAdrien，astheywenttotheirdressingroomtogether。
Aftertheyhadgone，HughturneduponVic:“Nowthen，whatthedeuceandallareyoudrivingat？“
“Drivingat！“criedVic，inanexasperatedtone。“Youareasweetsupportforafellowindistress。Iamanervouswreck——aperfectmess。AnotherwordfromthatkidandIshouldhaverunscreamingintothenight。Andasforyou，whythedeucedidn’tyoubuckupandhelpafellowout？“
“Helpyouout？HowinthenameofallthatisreasonablecouldI
helpyouout？Whatisalltheyarnabout？OfcourseIknowitisn’ttrue。Where’sMaitland？“
“Searchme，“saidVic。“AllIknowisthatIhituponthatScotchJohnnyoutinthehall——henearlywrenchedanarmoffmeanddideverythingbutbite——spittingoutincoherentgaspingsindicatingthatMaitlandhad’goneawa’wi’hisgur-r-l，confoundhim！’andsuggestingtheusualyoungLochinvarstuff。Youknow——nothinginit，ofcourse。ButwhatwasItodo？Sometalewasnecessary！
Fortunatelyorunfortunately，brotherTonysprangtothethingI
callmymindand——well，youknowthemessImadeofit。ButHugh，remember，forheaven’ssake，maketalkaboutsomething——aboutthematch——andgetthatgirlquietlyhome。IbagthebackseatandAdrien。Itishardonme，Iknow，butfifteenminutesmoreofPatsyandIshallbecountingmytootsiesandprattlingnurseryrhymes。Heretheycome，“hebreathed。“Now，’alittleforlornhope，deadlybreachact，ifyouloveme，Hardy。’Playup，oldboy！“
Andwithcommendableenthusiasmandsuccess，Hughplayedup，supported——asfarashisphysicalandmentalconditionallowed——bytheenfeebledVic，tilltheyhadsafelydepositedtheirchargesattheRectorydoor，whence，refusinganinvitationtostopforcocoa，theytooktheirhomewardway。
“’Andfromfamine，pestilenceandsuddendeath，’andfromtheonce-
overbythatpenetratingyoungfemale，’goodLord，deliverus，’“
murmuredVic，fallingintotheseatbesidehisfriend。“Takemehometomother，“headded，andrefusedfurtherspeechtillathisowndoor。Hewavedaweakadieuandstaggeredfeeblyintothehouse。
GrantMaitlandsatinhisoffice，plainlydisturbedinhismind。
Hisresoluteface，usuallyreflectingthementalreposewhicharisesfromtheconsciousnessofastrengthadequatetoanyemergency，carriedlineswhichrevealedamindwhichhadlostitspoise。Reportsfromhisforemenindicatedbroodingtrouble，andthishisownobservationwithinthelastfewweeksconfirmed。
Productionwasnoticeablyfallinglow。Theattitudeoftheworkerssuggestedsuspicionanddiscontent。ThatfineglowofcomradeshipwhichhadbeencharacteristicofallworkersintheMaitlandMillshadgivenplacetoasullenaloofnessandashiftinessofeyethatalltooplainlysuggestedevilforcesatwork。
DuringthedaysimmediatelyprecedingandfollowingtheGreatMatch，therehadbeenareturnofthatfrankandopenbearingthathadcharacterisedtheemployeesoftheMaitlandMillsintheolddays，butthatfleetinggleamofsunshinehadfadedoutandtheoldgreyshadowofsuspicion，ofdiscontent，hadfallenagain。ToMaitlandthisattitudebroughtadisappointmentandaresentmentwhichsensiblyaddedtohisburden，alreadyheavyenoughinthesedaysofweakeningmarketsandfallingprices。Inhistimehehadcomethroughperiodsoffinancialdepression。Hewaspreparedforonesuchperiodnow，buthehadneverpassedthroughtheunhappyexperienceofaconflictwithhisownemployees。Notthathehadeverfearedafight，butheshrankfromafightwithhisownmen。
Ithumiliatedhim。Hefeltittobeareflectionuponhissystemofmanagement，uponhisabilitytoleadandcontrol，indeed，uponhispersonality。But，morethanall，itgrievedhimtofeelthathehadlostthatsenseofcomradeshipwhichforfortyyearshehadbeenabletopreservewiththosewhotoiledwithhiminacommonenterprise。
Asenseoflonelinessfelluponhim。Likemanyaman，self-madeandself-sufficing，hecravedcompanionshipwhichhischaracteristicqualitiesofindependenceandstrengthseemedtorenderunnecessaryandundesired。Theexperienceofallleadersofmenwashis，fortheleaderiseveralonelyman。
Thismorningthereportshehadjustreceivedconvincedhimthatastrikewithhisworkerswouldnotlongbedelayed。“IfIonlyknewwhattheyreallywanted，“hebitterlymused。“Itcannotbewages。
Theirwagesaretwoorthreetimeswhattheywerebeforethewar——
shopconditionsareallthatcouldbedesired——theLordknowsI
havespentenoughinthiswelfarestuffandallthatsortofthingduringthesehardtimes。Ihaveheardofnorealgrievances。Iamsickofitall。IguessIamgrowingtoooldforthissortofthing。“
Therewasatapatthedoorandhissonappeared，withacheerygreeting。
“Comein，Jack，“saidhisfather，“IbelieveyouaretheverymanI
want。“
“Hello，Dad。Youlookasifyouwereintrouble。“
“Well，“repliedhisfatherwithakeenlookathim，“IthinkImayreturnthecompliment。“
“Well，yes，butperhapsIshouldnotbotheryou。Youhaveallyoucancarry。“
“AllIcancarry，“echoedMaitland，pickingupthereportsfromhisdeskandhandingthemtohisson，whoglancedoverthem。“Thingsarenotgoingwellatthemills。No，youneedn’ttellme。YouknowIneveraskyouforanyconfidencesaboutyourbrotherunionists。“
“Rightyouare，Dad。Youhavealwaysplayedthegame。“
“Well，Imustconfessthisisbeyondme。Everywhereonthemen’sfacesIcatchthatbeastlylookofdistrustandsuspicion。Ihatetoworkwithmenlikethat。Andveryobviously，troubleisbrewing，butwhatitis，frankly，itisbeyondmetoknow。“
“Well，itishardlyasecretanylonger，“saidJack。“Troubleiscoming，Dad，thoughwhatformitshalltakeIamnotinapositiontosay。Uniondisciplineisafiercething。Therankandfilearenottakenintotheconfidenceoftheleaders。PoliciesaredecideduponinthesecretcouncilsoftheGreatOnesandhandeddowntoustoadopt。Ofcourse，itisopentoanymantocriticise，andIamboundtosaythattherankersexercisethatprivilegewithconsiderablezest。Allthesame，however，itisdifficulttooverturnanadministration，hardtoupsetestablishedorder。Thethingthatis，isthethingthatoughttobe。Rejectionofanadministrationpolicydemandsrevolution。“
“Well，“saidhisfather，takingthesheetsfromJack’shand，“weneedn’tgotomeetthetrouble。Now，letushaveyours。Whatisyourparticulargrief？“
“Tony，“saidJackshortly。
“Tony？“echoedhisfatherindismay。“Heavenhelpus！AndwhatnowhascometoTony？ThoughImustconfessIhavebeenexpectingthisforsometime。Ithadtocome。“
“Itisalongstory，Dad，andIshan’tworryyouwiththedetails。
Asyouknow，afterleavingus，Tonywentfromonejobtoanotherwiththecurvesteadilydownwards。Forthelastfewmonths，I
gather，hehasbeenlivingonhiswits，helpedoutbygenerouscontributionsfromhissister’swages。Finallyhewasgivenasubordinatepositionunder“TheGreatWarVeterans“whohavereallybeenverydecenttohim。Thispositioninvolvedthehandlingoffunds——nogreatamount。Thenitwastheoldstory——gamblinganddrinking——thelossofallcontrol——desperatestraits——hopingtorecouphislosses——andyouknowtherest。“
“Embezzlement？“askedMaitland。
“Yes，embezzlement，“saidJack。“Tonyisnotathief。Hedidn’tdeliberatelysteal，youunderstand。“
“Jack，“saidhisfather，sharply，“getthatoutofyourhead。
Thereisnosuchdistinctioninlaworinfact。Stealingisstealing，whateverthemotivebehindit，whatevertheplangoverningit，bywhatevernamecalled。“
“Ididn’treallymeananythingelse，Dad。Tonydidthething，atanyrate，andthecopswereonhistrail。Hegotintohiding，sentanS。O。S。tohissister。Annette，driventodesperation，cametomewithherstorythenightoftheMatch。Shewasawfullycutup，poorgirl。IhadtoleavethedanceandgorightofftoToronto。
Toolateforthetrain，Idrovestraightthrough，——ghastlyroads，——
foundTony，fetchedhimback，anduptillyesterdayhehasbeenhidinginhisownhome。Meantime，Imanagedtogetthingsfixedup——paidhisdebts，theprosecutioniswithdrawnandnowhewants，——
or，rather，hedoesn’twantbutneeds，ajob。“
Maitlandlistenedwithagraveface。“Thenthelittlegirlwasright，afterall，“hesaid。
“Meaning？“
“Patricia，“saidhisfather。“ShetoldmealongstoryofaterribleaccidenttoTonythathadcalledyouawaytoToronto。I
mustsayitwasratherincoherent。“
“Butwhotoldher？Iswearnotasoulknewbuthispeopleandmyself，“saidJack。
“Strangehowthingsgetout，“saidhisfather。“Well，whereisTonynow？“
“Here，intheouteroffice。“
“But，“saidMaitland，desperately，“wherecanweplacehim？Heisimpossibleinanyposition——dangerousintheoffice，uselessasaforeman，doubtfulanduncertainasaworkman。“
“Onethingisquitecertain，“saidJackdecidedly，“hemustbeunderdiscipline。Heisuselessonhisown。Ithoughtthatperhapshemightworkbesideme。Icouldkeepaneyeonhim。
Tonyhasnothinginhimtoworkwith。IshouldliketohearoldMathesononhim——theReverendMurdo，Imean。Thatisagreatthemeofhis——’Tothemanwhohasnothingyoucangivenothing。’“
“Matheson？“saidMaitland。“Achumofyours，Iunderstand。
Radical，eh？“
“Averydecentsort，father，“repliedJack。“Ihavebeendoingalittleeconomicswithhimduringthewinter。Hisradicalismisofasoundtype，Ithink。Heisaregularbearateconomicsandheisevenbetteratthehumanitybusiness，thebrother-manstuff。Heisreallysoundthere。“
“Icanguesswhatyoumean，“saidhisfather，“thoughIdon’tquitecatchontoallyourjargon。ButIconfessthatIsuspectthereisawholelotofnonsenseassociatedwiththesetheories。“
“Youwillpardonme，Dad，“saidJack，“ifIsuggestthatyoureducationisreallynotyetcomplete。“
“Whoseis？“inquiredhisfather，curtly。
“ButaboutTony，“continuedJack，“IwishIhadhiminagangunderme。Iwouldworkhim，orbreakhisneck。“