The old man laughed and tapped his son on the shoulder.

"Don't get excited, Carnac. I'd rather you ran my business well, than
be Titian or Rembrandt, whoever they were. If you do this job well, I'll
think there's a good chance of our working together."

Carnac nodded, but the thought that he could not paint or sculp when he
was on this work vexed him, and he only set his teeth to see it through.
"All right, we'll see," he said, and his father went away.

Then Carnac's time of work and trial began. He was familiar with the
routine of the business, he had adaptability, he was a quick worker, and
for a fortnight things went swimmingly. There was elation in doing work
not his regular job, and he knew the eyes of the commercial and river
world were on him. He did his best and it was an effective best. Junia
had been in the City of Quebec, but she came back at the end of a
fortnight, and went to his office to get a subscription for a local
charity. She had a gift in this kind of work.

It was a sunny day in the month of June, and as she entered the office a
new spirit seemed to enter with her.

The place became distinguished. She stood in the doorway for a moment,
radiant, smiling, half embarrassed, then she said: "Please may I for a
moment, Carnac?"

Carnac was delighted. "For many moments, Junia."

"I'm not as busy as usual. I'm glad as glad to see you."

She said with restraint: "Not for many moments. I'm here on business.
It's important. I wanted to get a subscription from John Grier for the
Sailors' Hospital which is in a bad way. Will you give something for
him?"

Carnac looked at the subscription list. "I see you've been to Belloc
first and they've given a hundred dollars. Was that wise-going to them
first? You know how my father feels about Belloc. And we're the older
firm."

The girl laughed. "Oh, that's silly! Belloc's money is as good as John
Grier's, and it only happened he was asked first because Fabian was
present when I took the list, and it's Fabian's writing on the paper
there."

Carnac nodded. "That's all right with me, for I'm no foe to Belloc, but
my father wouldn't have liked it. He wouldn't have given anything in the
circumstances."

"Oh, yes, he would! He's got sense with all his prejudices. I'll tell
you what he'd have done: he'd have given a bigger subscription than
Belloc."

Carnac laughed. "Well, perhaps you're right; it was clever planning it
so."

"I didn't plan it. It was