The Major Part 28

The mother sat silent, her face showing deep distress. "Nora dear," at length she said, "this matter is really not in our hands. Surely you can see that. I can't discuss it with you." And so saying she left the room.

"Now, Nora," said Larry severely, "you are not to worry Mother. And besides you can't play Providence in this way. You must confess that you have a dreadful habit of trying to run things. I believe you would have a go at running the universe."

"Run things?" cried Nora. "Why not? There is altogether too much of letting things slide in this family. It is all very well to trust to Providence. Providence made the trees grow in the woods, but this house never would have been here if Mr. Sleighter had not got on to the job. Now I am going to ask you a straight question. Do you want Ernest Switzer to have Kathleen?"

"Well, he's a decent sort and a clever fellow," began Larry.

"Now, Larry, you may as well cut that 'decent sort,' 'clever fellow'

stuff right out. I want to know your mind. Would you like to see Ernest Switzer have Kathleen, or not?"

"Would you?" retorted her brother.

"No. I would not," emphatically said Nora.

"Why not?"

"To tell the truth, ever since that concert night I feel I can't trust him. He is different from us. He is no real Canadian. He is a German."

"Well, Nora, you amaze me," said Larry. "What supreme nonsense you are talking! You have got that stuff of Romayne's into your mind. The war bug has bitten you too. For Heaven's sake be reasonable. If you object to Ernest because of his race, I am ashamed of you and have no sympathy with you."

"Not because of his race," said Nora, "though, Larry, let me tell you he hates Britain. I was close to him that night, and hate looked out of his eyes. But let that pa.s.s. I have seen Ernest with 'his women' as he calls them, and, Larry, I can't bear to think of our Kathleen being treated as he treats his mother and sister."

"Now, Nora, let us be reasonable. Let us look at this fairly," began Larry.

"Oh, Larry! stop or I shall be biting the furniture next. When you a.s.sume that judicial air of yours I want to swear. Answer me. Do you want him to marry Kathleen? Yes or no."

"Well, as I was about to say--"

"Larry, will you answer yes or no?"

"Well, no, then," said Larry.

"Thank G.o.d!" cried Nora, rus.h.i.+ng at him and shaking him vigorously. "You wretch! Why did you keep me in suspense? How I wish that English stick would get a move on!"

"English stick? Whom do you mean?"

"You're as stupid as the rest, Larry. Whom should I mean? Jack Romayne, of course. There's a man for you. I just wish he'd waggle his finger at me! But he won't do things. He just 'glowers' at her, as old McTavish would say, with those deep eyes of his, and sets his jaw like a wolf trap, and waits. Oh, men are so stupid with women!"

"Indeed?" said Larry. "And how exactly?"

"Why doesn't he just make her love him, master her, swing her off her feet?" said Nora.

"Like Switzer, eh? The cave man idea?"

"No, no. Surely you see the difference?"

"Pity my ignorance and elucidate the mystery."

"Mystery? Nonsense. It is quite simple. It is a mere matter of emphasis."

"Oh, I see," said Larry, "or at least I don't see. But credit me with the earnest and humble desire to understand."

"Well," said his sister, "the one--"

"Which one?"

"Switzer. He is mad to possess her for his very own. He would carry her off against her will. He'd bully her to death."

"Ah, you would like that?"

"Not I. Let him try it on. The other, Romayne, is mad to have her too.

He would give her his very soul. But he sticks there waiting till she comes and flings herself into his arms."

"You prefer that, eh?"

"Oh, that makes me tired!" said Nora in a tone of disgust.

"Well, I give it up," said Larry hopelessly. "What do you want?"

"I want both. My man must want me more than he wants Heaven itself, and he must give me all he has but honour. Such a man would be my slave! And such a man--oh, I'd just love to be bullied by him."

For some moments Larry stood looking into the glowing black eyes, then said quietly, "May G.o.d send you such a man, little sister, or none at all."

In a few weeks the Alberta Coal Mining and Development Company was an established fact. Mr. Waring-Gaunt approved of it and showed his confidence in the scheme by offering to take a large block of stock and persuade his friends to invest as well. He also agreed that it was important to the success of the scheme both that Mr. Gwynne should be the president of the company and that young Switzer should be its secretary. Mr. Gwynne's earnest request that he should become the treasurer of the company Mr. Waring-Gaunt felt constrained in the meantime to decline. He already had too many irons in the fire. But he was willing to become a director and to aid the scheme in any way possible. Before the end of the month such was the energy displayed by the new secretary of the company in the disposing of the stock it was announced that only a small block of about $25,000 remained unsold. A part of this Mr. Waring-Gaunt urged his brother-in-law to secure.

"Got twenty thousand myself, you know--looks to me like a sound proposition--think you ought to go in--what do you say, eh, what?"

"Very well; get ten or fifteen thousand for me," said his brother-in-law.

Within two days Mr. Waring-Gaunt found that the stock had all been disposed of. "Energetic chap, that young Switzer,--got all the stock placed--none left, so he told me."

"Did you tell him the stock was for me?" enquired Romayne.

"Of course, why not?"

"Probably that accounts for it. He would not be especially anxious to have me in."

"What do you say? Nothing in that, I fancy. But I must see about that, what?"

"Oh, let it go," said Romayne.

"Gwynne was after me again to take the treasurers.h.i.+p," said Waring-Gaunt, "but I am busy with so many things--treasurers.h.i.+p very hampering--demands close attention--that sort of thing, eh, what?"

"Personally I wish you would take it," said Romayne. "You would be able to protect your own money and the investments of your friends. Besides, I understand the manager is to be a German, which, with a German secretary, is too much German for my idea."

"Oh, you don't like Switzer, eh? Natural, I suppose. Don't like him myself; bounder sort of chap--but avoid prejudice, my boy, eh, what?

German--that sort of thing--don't do in this country, eh?

English, Scotch, Irish, French, Galician, Swede, German--all sound Canadians--melting pot idea, eh, what?"