onal aid in the theoretical department, leaving Mr.
Trevannion more time for the practical work in the execution of which he
had given such satisfactory proof of his ability."

Notwithstanding the sop to his feelings, Trevannion had grasped the
significance of this communication, and resented it. He had been here,
in sole charge, since the beginning; the chief engineer, who lived at
the other end of the town, only came round once a fortnight, so
trustworthy did he consider his subordinate. He had laboured at the
detailed plans, wrestled with measurements to scale, until his eyes
ached. He had stood about the works in all weathers, had exercised a
personal supervision over the men, and had never made a slip in his
weekly reports.

To write the latter correctly, to keep the Committee informed of the
amount of cement used, of fresh piles driven, of water pumped out, of
concrete put in, to notify casualties, as they occurred, in a manner
that might suggest the Committee's obligations under employers'
liability, but did not harrow their feelings; to be at the works by nine
o'clock every morning and not to leave till five; to be either in the
iron shanty called the engineer's office, or supervising the making of
concrete, or clambering about the massive beams and piles, or shouting
through the telephone, or interviewing the ganger, or doing one of the
hundred other things that were in the day's work; surely this was all
that was required to be done, and he flattered himself that he had done
it very well.

And now the Works Committee were going to foist an assistant on him.
Assistant! The very name was a slight upon his capabilities, a slur on
his independence. Why had they treated him thus?

He thought he knew the reason, ridiculous as it appeared to him. The new
wharf, which was to increase the already considerable importance of
Berthwer as a river port, had not proceeded very rapidly during the past
few weeks. There had been difficulties--difficulties which Trevannion
had attributed to unforeseen circumstances. It was possible that the
Committee had attributed the difficulties to circumstances which ought
to have been foreseen.

Herein lay the gist of his resentment at the new appointment. The
Committee, while recognising his diligence, energy, and pluck,
considered that he lacked some of the finer qualities of insight that
enable a man to forestall such difficulties and, when they occur, to
meet them with as small an