VANE GROWS RESTLESS.
Vane had been back in Vancouver a fortnight when he sat one evening on
the verandah of Nairn's house in company with his host and Carroll,
lazily looking down upon the inlet.
Nairn referred to one of the papers in his hand.
"Horsfield has been bringing up that smelter project again, and there's
something to be said in favour of his views," he remarked. "We're paying
a good deal for reduction."
"We couldn't keep a smelter going at present," Vane objected.
"There are two or three low-grade mineral properties in the
neighbourhood of the Clermont that have only had a little development
work done on them," Nairn pointed out. "They can't pay freight on their
raw product; but I'm thinking we'd encourage their owners to open up the
mines, and get their business, if we had a smelter handy."
"It wouldn't amount to much," Vane replied. "Besides, there's another
objection--we haven't the dollars to put up a thoroughly efficient
plant."
"Horsfield's ready to find part of them and do the work."
"I know he is," said Vane. "He's suspiciously eager. The arrangement
would give him a pretty strong hold upon the company; there are ways in
which he could squeeze us."
"It's possible. But, looking at it as a personal matter, there are
inducements he could offer ye. Horsfield's a man who has the handling of
other folks' dollars, as weel as a good many of his own. It might be
wise to stand in with him."
"So he hinted," Vane answered shortly.
"Your argument was about the worst you could have used, Mr. Nairn,"
Carroll broke in, laughing.
"Weel," said Nairn, good-humouredly, "I'm no urging it. I would not see
your partner make enemies for the want of a warning."
"He'd probably do so, in any case; it's a gift of his," said Carroll.
"On the other hand, it's fortunate he has a way of making friends: the
two things sometimes go together."
Vane turned to Nairn with signs of impatience. "It might save trouble if
I state that while I'm a director of the Clermont I expect to be content
with a fair profit on my stock in the company."
"He's modest," Carroll commented. "What he means is that he doesn't
propose to augment that profit by taking advantage of his position."
"It's a creditable idea, though I'm no sure it's as common as might be
desired. While I have to thank ye for it, I would not consider the
explanation altogether necessary," said Nairn, whose eyes twinkled. Then
he addressed Vane: "Now we come to another point--the company's a small
one, the mine is doing satisfactorily, and the moment's favourable for
the floating of mineral properties. If we got an option on the
half-developed claims near the Clermont and went into the market, it's
likely that an issue of new stock would meet with investors' favour."
"I suppose so," said Vane. "I'll support such a scheme, when I can see
how an increased capital could be used to advantage and I am convinced
about the need for a smelter. At present, that's not the case."
"I mentioned it as a duty--ye'll hear more of it; for the rest, I'm
inclined to agree with ye," Nairn replied.
A few minutes later he went into the house with Carroll, and as they
entered it he glanced at his companion. "In the present instance, Mr.
Vane's views are sound," he said. "But I see difficulties before him."
"So do I. When he grapples with him it will be by a frontal attack."
"A bit of compromise is judicious now and then."
"In a general way it's not likely to appeal to my partner. When he can't
get through by direct means, there'll be something wrecked. You had
better understand what kind of man he is."
"It's no the first time I've been enlightened upon the point."
Shortly after they had disappeared, Miss Horsfield came out of another
door, and Vane rose when she approached him.
"Mrs. Nairn told me I would find you and the others in the verandah,"
she informed him. "She said she would join you presently, and it was too
fine to stay in."
"I think she was right," Vane replied. "As you see, I'm alone. Nairn and
Carroll have just deserted me, but I can't complain. What pleases me
most about this house is that you can do what you like in it,
and--within limits--the same thing applies to this city."
Jessie laughed, and sank gracefully into the chair he drew forward.
"Yes," she said. "I think that would please you. But how long have you
been back?"
"A fortnight, since yesterday."
There was a hint of reproach in the glance Jessie favoured him with.
"Then I think Mrs. Nairn might have brought you over to see us."
Vane wondered if she meant she was surprised he had not come of his own
accord, and he was mildly flattered.
"I was away at the mine a good deal of the time," he replied
deprecatingly.
"I wonder if you are sorry to get back?"
Turning a little, Vane indicated the climbing city, rising tier on tier
above its water front; and then the broad expanse of blue inlet and the
faint white line of towering snow.
"Wouldn't anything I could say in praise of Vancouver be trifle
superfluous?" he asked.
Jessie recognised that he had parried her question neatly, but this did
not deter her. She was anxious to learn if he had felt any regret in
leaving England, or, to be more concise, if there was anybody in that
country whom he had reluctantly parted from. She admitted that the man
attracted her. There was a breezy freshness about him, and though she
was acquainted with a number of young men whose conversation was
characterised by snap and sparkle, they needed toning down. This miner
was set apart from them by something which he had doubtless acquired in
youth in the older land.
"That wasn't quite what I meant," she said. "We don't always want to be
flattered, and I'm in search of information. You told me you had been
nine years in this country, and life must be rather different yonder.
How did it strike you after the absence?"
"It's difficult to explain," Vane replied with an air of amused
reflection which hinted that he meant to get away from the point. "On
the whole, I think I'm more interested in the question how I struck
them. It's curious that whereas some folks insist upon considering me
English here, I've a suspicion that they looked upon me as a typical
colonial there."
"One wouldn't like to think you resented it."
"How could I? This land sheltered me when I was an outcast, and set me
on my feet."
"Ah!" said Jessie, "you are the kind we don't mind taking in. The rest
go back and abuse us. But you haven't given me very much information
yet."
"Then," said Vane, "the best comparison is supplied by my first
remark--that in this city you can do what you like. You're rather fenced
in yonder, which, if you're of a placid disposition, is, no doubt,
comforting, because it shuts out unpleasant things. On the other hand,
if you happen to be restless and active, the fences are inconvenient,
because you can't always climb over, and it is not considered proper to
break them down. Still, having admitted that, I'm proud of the old land.
It's only the fences that irritate me."
"Fences would naturally be obnoxious to you. But we have some here."
"They're generally built loose, of split-rails, and not nailed. An
energetic man can pull off a bar or two and stride over. If it's
necessary, he can afterwards put them up again, and there's no harm
done."
"Would you do the latter?"
Vane's expression changed. "No," he said. "I think if there were
anything good on the other side, I'd widen the gap so that the less
agile and the needy could crawl through." He smiled at her. "You see, I
owe some of them a good deal. They were the only friends I had when I
first tramped, jaded and footsore, about the province."
Jessie was pleased with his answer. She had heard of the bush choppers'
free hospitality, and she thought it was a graceful thing that he should
acknowledge his debt to them.
"Now at last you'll be content to rest a while," she suggested. "I dare
say you deserve it."
"It's strange you should say that, because just before you came out of
the house I was thinking that I'd sat still long enough," Vane answered
with a laugh. "It's a thing that gets monotonous. One must keep going
on."
"Then," said Jessie, "take care you don't walk over a precipice some day
when you have left all the fences behind. But I've kept you from your
meditations, and I had better see if Mrs. Nairn is coming."
She left him, and he was lighting a cigar when he noticed a girl whose
appearance seemed familiar in the road below. Moving along the verandah,
he recognised her as Kitty, and hastily crossed the lawn towards her.
She was accompanied by a young man whom Vane had once seen in the city,
but she greeted him with evident pleasure.
"Tom," she said, when they had exchanged a few words, "this is Mr.
Vane," Then turning to Vane she added: "Mr. Drayton."
Vane, who liked the man's face and manner, shook hands with him, and
then looked back at Kitty.
"What are you doing now, and how are little Elsie and her mother?" he
inquired.
Kitty's face clouded. "Mrs. Marvin's dead. Elsie's with some friends at
Spokane, and I think she's well looked after. I've given up the stage.
Tom"--she explained shyly--"didn't like it. Now I'm with some people at
a ranch near the Fraser on the Westminster road. There are two or three
children and I'm fond of them."
Drayton smiled. "She won't be there long. I've wanted to meet you for
some time, Mr. Vane. They told me at the office that you were away."
"Ah!" said Vane, "I suppose my congratulations won't be out of place.
Won't you ask me to the wedding?"
Kitty blushed. "Will you come?"
"Try," said Vane, and Drayton broke in:
"There's nobody we would sooner see. I'm heavily in your debt, Mr.
Vane."
"Oh, pshaw!" rejoined Vane. "Come and see me any time: to-morrow, if you
can manage it."
Drayton said he would do so, and shortly afterwards he and Kitty moved
away, but Vane, who turned back across the lawn, was not aware that
Jessie had watched the meeting from the verandah and had recognised
Kitty, whom she had once seen at the station. She had already
ascertained that the girl had arrived at Vancouver in his company,
which, in view of the opinion she had formed about him, somewhat puzzled
her; but she said one must endeavour to be charitable. Besides, having
closely watched the little group, she was inclined to believe from the
way Vane shook hands with the man that there was no danger to be
apprehended from Kitty.