taff and even then could not produce enough to meet the demand.
With the mounting strain Christopher began to prove of what metal he
was made. He stuck to the work with steady persistence, meeting
success as he had met difficulties, counting each but expected
incidents in a life's work. This level-headedness enabled him to bear
a physical strain that would have broken down the nerve of any man
more subject to outward conditions. A large proportion of extra work
was entailed on him by the starting point of Patrimondi being so
distant from London, but he resisted all suggestions to move it nearer
town, or make his own headquarters there, or take any step that would
serve to separate Aymer from easy contact with the work that made so
great a difference in his monotonous life.

Since the last appearance of Peter Masters, Aymer had seemed to lose
something of his old independent spirit of resistance. The mine of
strength within himself, which his father had developed, was nearing
exhaustion, and he lived more and more by force of his interest in
outward things, and the active part he played in Christopher's life.
But this diminution of his inward strength made the question of any
move too serious to be contemplated, although they still vaguely spoke
of a time when they would return to London. Mr. Aston knew that he
himself could not face the old strenuous life again.

He had dropped out of the line of workers too early, and though
seventy years found him still a man of active habits and vigour of
mind, he was too conscious of his divorce from the past to endure
meeting it daily face to face.

The fortunes of Patrimondi continued to leap forward by untraceable
impulses. They were able to choose their work now, and Christopher
gave the preference first to roads whose construction was under his
own direction from the very foundation, and secondly to such work as
least separated him from Caesar, but this last fact he was careful to
conceal even from Mr. Aston's watchful eyes.

In the world of workers he became known as the "Roadmaker," and
fabulous stories of his origin and fortune were circulated. Unknown to
himself or to those nearest to him, men high up in the financial world
kept their eye on the young man--made no prophecies--said nothing--but
were careful for reasons best known to themselves to help rather than
oppose him when he happened to cross their path. But the greatest of
all their race, Peter Masters himself, m