ted to rest. The
trouble was the put-off reckoning for past extravagance was at hand and
he shrank from asking his wife to pay. He had not been very scrupulous,
but he had his code. Then Hyslop came through the arch, and stopping,
noted Cartwright's awkwardly stretched-out leg.

"Gout bothering you again, sir?" he said. "You ought to lie up for a few
days, but I expect you're needed at the office. I heard the E.P. line
had a stormy meeting and the dissatisfied shareholders came near turning
out the directors. Johnson declared they only saved the situation by a
few votes."

"They ought to be turned out! A blundering lot! They've let a good fleet
down."

Hyslop smiled. He had pale and watery blue eyes that generally annoyed
Cartwright. "An awkward doctrine, sir! If all the steamship directors
who might have used the shareholders' money to better advantage were
called to account, I imagine a number of respectable gentlemen would
find their occupation gone. Besides, when people start deposing rulers
they don't know where to stop. The thing's, so to speak, contagious, and
panicky investors are not logical."

He went off and Cartwright braced himself. Mortimer meant to be nasty,
but his languid malice bit deeper than he knew. Cartwright had
hesitated, weighing the value of his wife's help against his scruples,
until his step-son's hints had tipped the beam. After all, if he used
Clara's money and saved his skin at her cost, the pup would have some
grounds to sneer.

"I must keep control for some time yet," he said. "Times are bad, and if
I let go the helm I doubt if my successor could steer a safe course.
When the need is gone I'll willingly give up, but I must bring the old
ship into port first. In the meantime, you had better let Stormont's buy
you sound Corporation stock."

Mrs. Cartwright acquiesced and Cartwright watched the young people
beyond the arch. With the stiff curtains for wing-scenes and the lights
concealed, the end of the room made a proscenium: it was like looking at
a drawing-room comedy on the stage. Two of the girls were pretty and he
approved their fashionable clothes. When she was quiet, Grace was almost
beautiful, but somehow none had Barbara's charm. Yet Cartwright thought
the girl was getting thin and her color was too bright. A friend of
Mortimer's occupied the music stool and Cartwright admitted that the
fellow played well, although he was something like a character from a
Gilbert opera.