"Had I not gone into the church I would have been a writer or an
engineer," said the bishop slowly. "They have always seemed kindred
pursuits, and I should have liked to be able to point to something
physical and concrete and say 'I made it.'"
Clark was a little puzzled. He had it in mind that the bishop's
achievements would be, perhaps, more enduring than his own. He tried
to put this into words.
The big man shook his head. "I hope I am making my mark, but who can
say? You affect the color of men's lives and I try to reach the
complexion of their spirits." He paused for a moment, then added, "But
between us we ought to do something. Good-by, and I hope you'll come
to one of my garden parties. I hear you don't care for society, but
you'll like my strawberries, and in the meantime I trust that all will
prosper. Even if St. Marys does not realize all this, does it matter?"
"Not in the slightest."
The bishop strode off. A few paces away he halted. "I'm no Moslem but
I'm very glad to meet Mahomet," he called back; "good-by."
In June the general manager, for as such Clark was now known, gave a
luncheon at the works, which was to remain long in the mind of at least
one of the participants. By this time he himself was beginning to
withdraw to that seclusion which added much to the fascination of his
personality. When his guests arrived they were turned over to Belding
for a tour of inspection, and then, filled with interest and surprise,
sat down to the meal Clark had had prepared in the small marquee. Now
he appeared himself, the genius of the place, and sat at the head of
the table.
Looking back at the curious relationship in which this man stood to the
people of St. Marys, it seems that he liked them more than he cared to
express, for the expression of any sentiment was strange to his lips.
He could do much for them, and did it, while, at the same time, he
asked nothing for himself. When not in action, Clark was particularly
silent, but when really in action he approached his subject with
obvious joy and interest, and coupled with this was his natural
instinct for impressive and dramatic situations. Something of this had
been recognized by Filmer and the others who came to lunch, so that,
afterwards, when he threw out a hint, the only one on record, it met
with immediate attention. He was talking to Worden when his eye drew
Filmer into the conversation.
"I have been wondering whether any of you gentlemen have bought any
land?"
The effect was that of a stone thrown into a pool, and one could see
the ripples of interest spreading. But it was so unexpected that there
followed a little silence, broken presently by a laugh from Filmer.
"What land?"