came at a moment when Pippin had raised
his hand with the carving-knife grasped in it to answer some remark of
Hemmings' about the future of the company. The optimism in his uplifted
chin, the strenuous energy in his whispering voice, gave Scorrier a more
vivid glimpse of Pippin's nature than he had perhaps ever had before.
This new country, where nothing but himself could help a man--that was
the castle! No wonder Pippin was impatient of control, no wonder he
was out of hand, no wonder he was silent--chopping away at that! And
suddenly he thought: 'Yes, and all the time one knows, Nature must beat
him in the end!'

That very evening Hemmings delivered himself of his reproof. He had sat
unusually silent; Scorrier, indeed, had thought him a little drunk, so
portentous was his gravity; suddenly, however he rose. It was hard on a
man, he said, in his position, with a Board (he spoke as of a family
of small children), to be kept so short of information. He was actually
compelled to use his imagination to answer the shareholders' questions.
This was painful and humiliating; he had never heard of any secretary
having to use his imagination! He went further--it was insulting! He had
grown grey in the service of the company. Mr. Scorrier would bear him
out when he said he had a position to maintain--his name in the City was
a high one; and, by George! he was going to keep it a high one; he
would allow nobody to drag it in the dust--that ought clearly to be
understood. His directors felt they were being treated like children;
however that might be, it was absurd to suppose that he (Hemmings) could
be treated like a child...! The secretary paused; his eyes seemed to
bully the room.

"If there were no London office," murmured Pippin, "the shareholders
would get the same dividends."

Hemmings gasped. "Come!" he said, "this is monstrous!"

"What help did I get from London when I first came here? What help have
I ever had?"

Hemmings swayed, recovered, and with a forced smile replied that, if
this were true, he had been standing on his head for years; he did not
believe the attitude possible for such a length of time; personally he
would have thought that he too had had a little something to say to the
company's position, but no matter...! His irony was crushing.... It
was possible that Mr. Pippin hoped to reverse the existing laws of the
universe with regard to limited companies; he would merely say that
he must not begin with