lbeam? Oh. Sure. Yes. Send him right up. Don't
keep him waiting. Right up now. Yes."

He thrust up the instrument and sat back in his chair.

"Curse the man!"

Nancy had risen from her chair at the mention of Hellbeam's name. She
was glad enough of the excuse. She understood Hellbeam was the great
outstanding figure in the concern of the Skandinavia. His was the one
personality that dwarfed everybody. He was the moving power of the whole
concern.

"You'll let me know later?" she said. "I mean, just when I'm to start
out. I'm ready when you like. I'll just go and see why those reports
have not been sent up."

"Oh, don't worry with the reports. You've told me the things that
matter."

The man's irritation was as swift as it was violent. But it passed as
quickly as it came. He laughed.

"That's all right, my dear. Be off now. I'll let you know about things
this afternoon."

Nancy gladly accepted her dismissal. She wanted to think. She wanted to
get things into their proper focus. As she closed the door behind her
her beautiful eyes had no joy in them. She had realised two things as a
result of her interview. The opportunity she had looked forward to had
materialised, and she had seized it with both hands. But the goodness of
Elas Peterman to herself possessed none of that disinterested kindliness
she had hitherto believed. Furthermore, there was dawning upon her that
which her mirror should have told her long ago. She was beginning to
understand that her work, her capacity, her application, counted far
less in the favour of her chief than did those things with which nature
had equipped her. She was shocked out of her youthful dream. And it left
her so troubled, that, had she not been passing down the carpeted
corridor of the Skandinavia offices, she would have burst into a flood
of tears.

* * * * *

It was a different Elas Peterman who confronted the squat figure of
Nathaniel Hellbeam. The master in the younger man was completely
submerged. He possessed all the Teutonic capacity for self-abnegation in
the presence of the power it is necessary to woo. There was only one
master when the great financier was present. Elas Peterman knew that his
part was to listen and obey with just that humility which he would have
demanded had the position been reversed.

Another type than Hellbeam's would have despised the attitude. But the
financier had no scruple. Nature had denied him qualiti