\"Ohdear！\"sighedPippin。\"Wemustchangeallthis，Scorrier;itwillneverdotogobackbeaten。Ishallnotgobackbeaten;youwillhavetocarrymeonmyshield;\"andslyly:\"Tooheavy，eh？Poorfellow！\"Thenforalongtimehewassilent，movinghislipsasifaddingupthecost。Suddenlyhesighed，andgraspingScorrier’sarm，said:\"Dull，aren’tI？Whatwillyoudo？Putmeinyourreport，’NewSuperintendent——sad，dulldog——notawordtothrowatacat！’\"
Andasifthenewtaskweretoomuchforhim，hesankbackinthought。ThelastwordshesaidtoScorrierthatnightwere:\"Verysilenthere。It’shardtobelieveone’shereforlife。ButIfeelI
am。Mustn’tbeacoward，though！\"andbrushinghisforehead，asthoughtoclearfromitacobweboffaintthoughts，hehurriedoff。
Scorrierstayedontheverandasmoking。Therainhadceased，afewstarswereburningdimly;evenabovethesqualorofthetownshipthescentoftheforests，theinterminableforests，brooded。Theresprangintohismindthememoryofapicturefromoneofhischildren’sfairybooks——thepictureofalittlebeardedmanontiptoe，withpoisedheadandagreatsword，slashingatthecastleofagiant。ItremindedhimofPippin。Andsuddenly，eventoScorrier—
—whoseexistencewasonelongencounterwithstrangeplaces——theunseenpresenceofthosewoods，theirheavy，healthyscent，thelittlesounds，likesqueaksfromtinytoys，issuingoutofthegloomysilence，seemedintolerable，tobeshunned，fromthemereinstinctofself—preservation。Hethoughtoftheeveninghehadspentinthebosomof\"Down—by—the—starn\"Hemmings’family，receivinghislastinstructions——thesecurityofthatsuburbanvilla，itsdiscouraginggentility;thesuperioracidityoftheMissHemmings;thenoblenamesoflargecontractors，ofcompanypromoters，ofapeer，draggedwiththelightnessofgun—carriagesacrosstheconversation;theautocracyofHemmings，raspeduphereandthere，bysomedomesticcontradiction。Itwasallsoniceandsafe——asifthewholethinghadbeenfastenedtoananchorsunkbeneaththepinkcabbagesofthedrawing—roomcarpet！Hemmings，seeinghimoffthepremises，hadsaidwithsecrecy:\"LittlePippinwillhaveagoodthing。WeshallmakehissalaryL————。He’llbeagreatman—quiteaking。Ha—ha！\"
Scorriershooktheashesfromhispipe。’Salary！’hethought，straininghisears;’Iwouldn’ttaketheplaceforfivethousandpoundsayear。Andyetit’safinecountry，’andwithironicviolenceherepeated，’adashedfinecountry！’
Tendayslater，havingfinishedhisreportonthenewmine，hestoodonthejettywaitingtogoabroadthesteamerforhome。
\"Godblessyou！\"saidPippin。\"Tellthemtheyneedn’tbeafraid;andsometimeswhenyou’reathomethinkofme，eh？\"
Scorrier，scramblingonboard，hadaconfusedmemoryoftearsinhiseyes，andaconvulsivehandshake。
II
ItwaseightyearsbeforethewheelsoflifecarriedScorrierbacktothatdisenchantedspot，andthistimenotonthebusinessoftheNewCollieryCompany。Hewentforanothercompanywithaminesomethirtymilesaway。Beforestarting，however，hevisitedHemmings。
Thesecretarywassurroundedbypigeon—holesandfinerthanever;
Scorrierblinkedinthefullradianceofhiscourtesy。Alittlemanwitheyebrowsfullofquestions，andagrizzledbeard，wasseatedinanarm—chairbythefire。
\"YouknowMr。Booker，\"saidHemmings——\"oneofmydirectors。ThisisMr。Scorrier，sir——whowentoutforus。\"
Thesesentencesweremurmuredinawaysuggestiveoftheiruncommonvalue。Thedirectoruncrossedhislegs，andbowed。Scorrieralsobowed，andHemmings，leaningback，slowlydevelopedthefullresourcesofhiswaistcoat。
\"Soyouaregoingoutagain，Scorrier，fortheotherside？ItellMr。Scorrier，sir，thatheisgoingoutfortheenemy。Don’tfindthemamineasgoodasyoufoundus，there’sagoodman。\"
Thelittledirectoraskedexplosively:\"Seeourlastdividend？
Twentypercent;eh，what？\"
Hemmingsmovedafinger，asifreprovinghisdirector。\"Iwillnotdisguisefromyou，\"hemurmured，\"thatthereisfrictionbetweenusand——theenemy;youknowourpositiontoowell——justalittletoowell，eh？’Anod’sasgoodasawink。’\"
HisdiplomaticeyesflatteredScorrier，whopassedahandoverhisbrow——andsaid:\"Ofcourse。\"
\"Pippindoesn’thititoffwiththem。Betweenourselves，he’saleetletoobigforhisboots。Youknowwhatitiswhenamaninhispositiongetsasuddenrise！\"
ScorriercaughthimselfsearchingonthefloorforasightofHemmings’boots;heraisedhiseyesguiltily。Thesecretarycontinued:\"Wedon’thearfromhimquiteasoftenasweshouldlike，infact。\"
TohisownsurpriseScorriermurmured:\"It’sasilentplace！\"
Thesecretarysmiled。\"Verygood！Mr。Scorriersays，sir，it’sasilentplace;ha—ha！Icallthatverygood！\"Butsuddenlyasecretirritationseemedtobubbleinhim;heburstforthalmostviolently:
\"He’snobusinesstoletitaffecthim;now，hashe？Iputittoyou，Mr。Scorrier，Iputittoyou，sir！\"
ButScorriermadenoreply，andsoonaftertookhisleave:hehadbeenaskedtoconveyafriendlyhinttoPippinthatmorefrequentletterswouldbewelcomed。StandingintheshadowoftheRoyalExchange，waitingtothreadhiswayacross，hethought:’Soyoumusthavenoise，mustyou——you’vegotsomehere，andtospare……’
OnhisarrivalinthenewworldhewiredtoPippinaskingifhemightstaywithhimonthewayupcountry，andreceivedtheanswer:\"Besureandcome。\"
Aweeklaterhearrived（therewasnowarailway）andfoundPippinwaitingforhiminaphaeton。Scorrierwouldnothaveknowntheplaceagain;therewasaglitterovereverything，asifsomeonehadtoucheditwithawand。Thetrackshadgivenplacetoroads，runningfirm，straight，andblackbetweenthetreesunderbrilliantsunshine;
thewoodenhouseswereallpainted;outinthegleamingharbouramongstthegreenofislandslaythreesteamers，eachwithafleetofbusyboats;andhereandthereatinyyachtfloated，likeasea—birdonthewater。Pippindrovehislong—tailedhorsesfuriously;hiseyesbrimmedwithsubtlekindness，asifaccordingScorrieracontinualwelcome。DuringthetwodaysofhisstayScorrierneverlostthatsenseofglamour。HehadeveryopportunityforobservingthegripPippinhadovereverything。Thewoodendoorsandwallsofhisbungalowkeptoutnosounds。Helistenedtointerviewsbetweenhishostandallkindsandconditionsofmen。Thevoicesofthevisitorswouldriseatfirst——angry，discontented，matter—of—fact，withnasaltwang，orgutturaldrawl;thenwouldcomethesoftpatterofthesuperintendent’sfeetcrossingandrecrossingtheroom。Thenapause，thesoundofhardbreathing，andquickquestions——thevisitor’svoiceagain，againthepatter，andPippin’singratiatingbutdecisivemurmurs。PresentlyoutwouldcomethevisitorwithanexpressiononhisfacewhichScorriersoonbegantoknowbyheart，akindofpleased，puzzled，helplesslook，whichseemedtosay，\"I’vebeendone，Iknow——I’llgiveittomyselfwhenI’mroundthecorner。\"
Pippinwasfullofwistfulquestionsabout\"home。\"Hewantedtotalkofmusic，pictures，plays，ofhowLondonlooked，whatnewstreetstherewere，and，aboveall，whetherScorrierhadbeenlatelyintheWestCountry。Hetalkedofgettingleavenextwinter，askedwhetherScorrierthoughttheywould\"putupwithhimathome\";then，withtheagitationwhichhadalarmedScorrierbefore，headded:\"Ah！butI’mnotfitforhomenow。Onegetsspoiled;it’sbigandsilenthere。
WhatshouldIgobackto？Idon’tseemtorealise。\"
ScorrierthoughtofHemmings。\"’Tisabitcrampedthere，certainly，\"
hemuttered。
Pippinwentonasifdivininghisthoughts。\"IsupposeourfriendHemmingswouldcallmefoolish;he’sabovethelittleweaknessesofimagination，eh？Yes;it’ssilenthere。SometimesintheeveningI
wouldgivemyheadforsomebodytotalkto——Hemmingswouldnevergivehisheadforanything，Ithink。Butallthesame，Icouldn’tfacethemathome。Spoiled！\"Andslylyhemurmured:\"WhatwouldtheBoardsayiftheycouldhearthat？\"
Scorrierblurtedout:\"Totellyouthetruth，theycomplainalittleofnothearingfromyou。\"
Pippinputoutahand，asiftopushsomethingaway。\"Letthemtrythelifehere！\"hebrokeout;\"it’slikesittingonalivevolcano——
whatwithourfriends，’theenemy，’overthere;themen;theAmericancompetition。Ikeepitgoing，Scorrier，butatwhatacost——atwhatacost！\"
\"Butsurely——letters？\"
Pippinonlyanswered:\"Itry——Itry！\"
Scorrierfeltwithremorseandwonderthathehadspokenthetruth。
Thefollowingdayheleftforhisinspection，andwhileinthecampof\"theenemy\"muchwasthetalkheheardofPippin。
\"Why！\"saidhishost，thesuperintendent，alittlemanwithafacesomewhatlikeanowl’s，\"d’youknowthenamethey’vegivenhimdowninthecapital——’theKing’——good，eh？He’smadethem’situp’allalongthiscoast。Ilikehimwellenough——good——heartedman，shockingnervous;butmypeopledowntherecan’tstandhimatanyprice。Sir，herunsthiscolony。You’dthinkbutterwouldn’tmeltinthatmouthofhis;buthealwaysgetshisway;that’swhatriles’emso;thatandthesuccesshe’smakingofhismine。Itpuzzlesme;
you’dthinkhe’donlybetoogladofaquietlife，amanwithhisnerves。Butno，he’sneverhappyunlesshe’sfighting，somethingwherehe’sgotachancetoscoreavictory。Iwon’tsayhelikesit，but，byJove，itseemshe’sgottodoit。Nowthat’sfunny！I’lltellyouonething，thoughshouldn’tbeabitsurprisedifhebrokedownsomeday;andI’lltellyouanother，\"headdeddarkly，\"he’ssailingverynearthewind，withthoselargecontractsthathemakes。
Iwouldn’tcaretotakehisrisks。Justletthemhaveastrike，orsomethingthatshutsthemdownforaspell——andmarkmywords，sir——
it’llbeallupwiththem。But，\"heconcludedconfidentially，\"I
wishIhadhisholdonthemen;it’sagreatthinginthiscountry。
Notlikehome，whereyoucangoroundacornerandgetanothergang。
Youhavetomakethebestyoucanoutofthelotyouhave;youwon’t，getanothermanforloveormoneywithoutyoushiphimafewhundredmiles。\"Andwithafrownhewavedhisarmovertheforeststoindicatethebarrennessoftheland。
Scorrierfinishedhisinspectionandwentonashootingtripintotheforest。Hishostmethimonhisreturn。\"Justlookatthis！\"hesaid，holdingoutatelegram。\"Awful，isn’tit？\"Hisfaceexpressedaprofoundcommiseration，almostludicrouslymixedwiththeashamedcontentmentthatmenexperienceatthemisfortunesofanenemy。
Thetelegram，datedthedaybefore，ranthus\"FrightfulexplosionNewCollierythismorning，greatlossoflifefeared。\"
Scorrierhadthebewilderedthought:’Pippinwillwantmenow。’
Hetookleaveofhishost，whocalledafterhim:\"You’dbetterwaitforasteamer！It’sabeastlydrive！\"
Scorriershookhishead。Allnight，joltingalongaroughtrackcutthroughtheforest，hethoughtofPippin。Theothermiseriesofthiscalamityatpresentlefthimcold;hebarelythoughtofthesmotheredmen;butPippin’sstruggle，hislonelystrugglewiththishydra—
headedmonster，touchedhimverynearly。HefellasleepanddreamedofwatchingPippinslowlystrangledbyasnake;theagonised，kindly，ironicfacepeepingoutbetweentwogleamingcoilswassohorriblyreal，thatheawoke。Itwasthemomentbeforedawn:pitch—blackbranchesbarredthesky;witheveryjoltofthewheelsthegleamsfromthelampsdanced，fantasticandintrusive，roundfernsandtree—
stems，intothecoldheartoftheforest。ForanhourormoreScorriertriedtofeignsleep，andhidefromthestillness，andovermasteringgloomofthesegreatwoods。Thensoftlyawhisperofnoisesstoleforth，astiroflight，andthewholeslowradianceofthemorningglory。Butitbroughtnowarmth;andScorrierwrappedhimselfcloserinhiscloak，feelingasthougholdagehadtouchedhim。
Closeonnoonhereachedthetownship。Glamourseemedstilltohoveroverit。Hedroveontothemine。Thewinding—enginewasturning，thepulleyatthetopofthehead—gearwhizzinground;nothinglookedunusual。’Somemistake！’hethought。Hedrovetotheminebuildings，alighted，andclimbedtotheshafthead。Insteadoftheusualrumblingofthetrolleys，therattleofcoaldischargedoverthescreens，therewassilence。Closeby，Pippinhimselfwasstanding，smirchedwithdirt。Thecage，comingswiftandsilentfrombelow，shotopenitsdoorswithasharprattle。Scorrierbentforwardtolook。Therelayadeadman，withasmileonhisface。
\"Howmany？\"hewhispered。
Pippinanswered:\"Eighty—fourbroughtup——forty—sevenstillbelow，\"
andenteredtheman’snameinapocket—book。
Anoldermanwastakenoutnext;hetoowassmiling——therehadbeenvouchsafedtohim，itseemed，atasteofmorethanearthlyjoy。ThesightofthosestrangesmilesaffectedScorriermorethanalltheanguishordespairhehadseenscoredonthefacesofotherdeadmen。
HeaskedanoldminerhowlongPippinhadbeenatwork。
\"Thirtyhours。Yesterdayhewer’below;wehadtonighcarrymunupatlast。He’sforgoin’downagain，butthechapswon’tlowermun;\"
theoldmangaveasigh。\"I’mwaitingformyboytocomeup，Iam。\"
Scorrierwaitedtoo——therewasfascinationaboutthosedead，smilingfaces。Therescuingofthesemenwhowouldneveragainbreathewentonandon。Scorriergrewsleepyinthesun。Theoldminerwokehim，saying:\"Rummystuffthisherechokedamp;see，theyalldiesdrunk！\"
Theverynexttobebroughtupwasthechiefengineer。Scorrierhadknownhimquitewell，oneofthoseScotsmenwhoarebornattheageoffortyandremainsoalltheirlives。Hisface——theonlyonethatworenosmile——seemedgrievingthatdutyhaddepriveditofthatlastluxury。Withwideeyesanddrawnlipshehaddiedprotesting。
LateintheafternoontheoldminertouchedScorrier’sarm，andsaid:
\"Thereheis——there’smyboy！\"Andhedepartedslowly，wheelingthebodyonatrolley。
Asthesunset，thegangbelowcameup。Nofurthersearchwaspossibletillthefumeshadcleared。Scorrierheardonemansay:
\"There’ssomewe’llneverget;they’vehadsureburial\"
Anotheransweredhim:\"’Tisagudeenoughbagforme！\"Theypassedhim，thewhitesoftheireyesgleamingoutoffacesblackasink。
Pippindrovehimhomeatafuriouspace，notutteringasingleword。
Astheyturnedintothemainstreet，ayoungwomanstartingoutbeforethehorsesobligedPippintopullup。TheglancehebentonScorrierwasludicrouslyprescientofsuffering。Thewomanaskedforherhusband。Severaltimestheywerestoppedthusbywomenaskingfortheirhusbandsorsons。\"ThisiswhatIhavetogothrough，\"
Pippinwhispered。
Whentheyhadeaten，hesaidtoScorrier:\"Itwaskindofyoutocomeandstandbyme！Theytakemeforagod，poorcreaturethatIam。
ButshallIevergetthemendownagain？Theirnerve’sshaken。I
wishIwereoneofthosepoorlads，todiewithasmilelikethat！\"
Scorrierfeltthefutilityofhispresence。OnPippinalonemustbetheheatandburden。Wouldhestandunderit，orwouldthewholethingcomecrashingtotheground？Heurgedhimagainandagaintorest，butPippinonlygavehimoneofhisqueersmiles。\"Youdon’tknowhowstrongIam！\"hesaid。
IV
Hehimselfsleptheavily;and，wakingatdawn，wentdown。Pippinwasstillathisdesk;hispenhaddropped;hewasasleep。Theinkwaswet;Scorrier’seyecaughttheopeningwords:
\"GENTLEMEN，——SincethishappenedIhavenotslept……\"
Hestoleawayagainwithasenseofindignationthatnoonecouldbedraggedintosharethatfight。TheLondonBoard—roomrosebeforehismind。HeimaginedtheportentousgravityofHemmings;hisfaceandvoiceandmannerconveyingtheimpressionthathealonecouldsavethesituation;thesixdirectors，allmenofcommonsenseandcertainlyhumane，seatedbehindlargeturret—shapedinkpots;theconcernandirritationintheirvoices，askinghowitcouldhavehappened;theircomments:\"Anawfulthing！\"\"IsupposePippinisdoingthebesthecan！\"\"Wirehimonnoaccounttoleavethemineidle！\"\"Poordevils！\"\"Afund？Ofcourse，whatoughtwetogive？\"
Hehadastrongconvictionthatnothingofallthiswoulddisturbthecommonsensewithwhichtheywouldgohomeandeattheirmutton。A
goodthingtoo;thelessitwastakentoheartthebetter！ButScorrierfeltangry。Thefightwassounfair！Afellowallnerves——
withnotasoultohelphim！Well，itwashisownlookout！Hehadchosentocentreitallinhimself，tomakehimselfitsverysoul。
Ifhegavewaynow，theshipmustgodown！Byathinthread，Scorrier’shero—worshipstillheld。’Managainstnature，’hethought，’Ibacktheman。’Thestruggleinwhichhewassopowerlesstogiveaid，becameintenselypersonaltohim，asifhehadengagedhisowngoodfaiththerein。
Thenextdaytheywentdownagaintothepit—head;andScorrierhimselfdescended。Thefumeshadalmostcleared，butthereweresomeplaceswhichwouldneverbereached。Attheendofthedayallbutfourbodieshadbeenrecovered。\"Inthedayo’judgment，\"aminersaid，\"theyfour’llcomeoutofhere。\"ThoseunclaimedbodieshauntedScorrier。Hecameonsentencesofwriting，wheremenwaitingtobesuffocatedhadwrittendowntheirfeelings。Inoneplace，thehour，theword\"Sleepy，\"andasignature。Inanother，\"A。F。——donefor。\"WhenhecameupatlastPippinwasstillwaiting，pocket—bookinhand;theyagaindepartedatafuriouspace。
TwodayslaterScorrier，visitingtheshaft，founditsneighbourhooddeserted——notalivingthingofanysortwasthereexceptoneChinamanpokinghisstickintotherubbish。Pippinwasawaydownthecoastengaginganengineer;andonhisreturn，Scorrierhadnotthehearttotellhimofthedesertion。Hewassparedtheeffort，forPippinsaid:\"Don’tbeafraid——you’vegotbadnews？Themenhavegoneonstrike。\"
Scorriersighed。\"Lock，stock，andbarrel\"
\"Ithoughtso——seewhatIhavehere！\"HeputbeforeScorrieratelegram:
\"Atallcostskeepworking——fataltostop——managethissomehow。——
HEMMINGS。\"
Breathingquickly，headded:\"AsifIdidn’tknow！’Managethissomehow’——alittlehard！\"
\"What’stobedone？\"askedScorrier。
\"YouseeIamcommanded！\"Pippinansweredbitterly。\"Andthey’requiteright;wemustkeepworking——ourcontracts！NowI’mdown——notasoulwillspareme！\"
Theminers’meetingwasheldthefollowingdayontheoutskirtsofthetown。Pippinhadclearedtheplacetomakeapublicrecreation—
ground——asortoffeatherinthecompany’scap;itwasnowtobethespotwhereonshouldbedecidedthequestionofthecompany’slifeordeath。
Theskytothewestwascrossedbyasinglelineofcloudlikeabarofbeatengold;treeshadowscrepttowardsthegroupsofmen;theeveningsavour，thatstrongfragranceoftheforest，sweetenedtheair。Theminersstoodallroundamongsttheburnttree—stumps，cowedandsullen。Theylookedincapableofmovementorexpression。ItwasthisdumbparalysisthatfrightenedScorrier。HewatchedPippinspeakingfromhisphaeton，thebuttofallthosesullen，restlesseyes。Wouldhelastout？Wouldthewireshold？Itwaslikethefinishofarace。HecaughtabaffledlookonPippin’sface，asifhedespairedofpiercingthatterribleparalysis。Themen’seyeshadbeguntowander。’He’slosthishold，’thoughtScorrier;’it’sallup！’
Aminerclosebesidehimmuttered:\"Lookout！\"
Pippinwasleaningforward，hisvoicehadrisen，thewordsfelllikeawhiplashonthefacesofthecrowd:\"Youshan’tthrowmeover;doyouthinkI’llgiveupallI’vedoneforyou？I’llmakeyouthefirstpowerinthecolony！Areyouturningtailatthefirstshot？
You’reasetofcowards，mylads！\"
EachmanroundScorrierwaslisteningwithadifferentmotionofthehands——onerubbedthem，oneclenchedthem，anothermovedhisclosedfist，asifstabbingsomeoneintheback。Agrisly—bearded，beetle—
browed，twinkling—eyedoldCornishmanmuttered:\"A’hmnottroublin’
aboutthat。\"ItseemedalmostasifPippin’sobjectwastogetthementokillhim;theyhadgatheredcloser，crouchingforarush。
SuddenlyPippin’svoicedroppedtoawhisper:\"I’mdisgracedMen，areyougoingbackonme？\"
TheoldminernextScorriercalledoutsuddenly:\"Annythat’sCornishmenheretostandbythesuperintendent？\"Agroupdrewtogether，andwithmurmursandgesticulationthemeetingbrokeup。
IntheeveningadeputationcametovisitPippin;andallnightlongtheirvoicesandthesuperintendent’sfootstepscouldbeheard。Inthemorning，Pippinwentearlytothemine。Beforesupperthedeputationcameagain;andagainScorrierhadtolistenhourafterhourtothesoundofvoicesandfootstepstillhefellasleep。Justbeforedawnhewasawakenedbyalight。Pippinstoodathisbedside。
\"Themengodownto—morrow，\"hesaid:\"WhatdidItellyou？Carrymehomeonmyshield，eh？\"
Inaweektheminewasinfullwork。
V
Twoyearslater，ScorrierheardoncemoreofPippin。AnotefromHemmingsreachedhimaskingifhecouldmakeitconvenienttoattendtheirBoardmeetingthefollowingThursday。Hearrivedratherbeforetheappointedtime。Thesecretaryreceivedhim，and，inanswertoinquiry，said:\"Thankyou，wearedoingwell——betweenourselves，wearedoingverywell。\"
\"AndPippin？\"
Thesecretaryfrowned。\"Ah，Pippin！Weaskedyoutocomeonhisaccount。Pippinisgivingusalotoftrouble。Wehavenothadasinglelinefromhimforjusttwoyears！\"HespokewithsuchasenseofpersonalgrievancethatScorrierfeltquitesorryforhim。\"Notasingleline，\"saidHemmings，\"sincethatexplosion——youwerethereatthetime，Iremember！Itmakesitveryawkward;Icallitpersonaltome。\"
\"Buthow——\"Scorrierbegan。
\"Weget——telegrams。Hewritestonoone，noteventohisfamily。
Andwhy？Justtellmewhy？Wehearofhim;he’sagreatnoboutthere。Nothing’sdoneinthecolonywithouthisfingerbeinginthepie。HeturnedoutthelastGovernmentbecausetheywouldn’tgrantusanextensionforourrailway——showshecan’tbeafool。Besides，lookatourbalance—sheet！\"
ItturnedoutthatthequestiononwhichScorrier’sopinionwasdesiredwas，whetherHemmingsshouldbesentouttoseewhatwasthematterwiththesuperintendent。Duringthediscussionwhich。
ensued，hewasanunwillinglistenertostricturesonPippin’ssilence。\"Theexplosion，\"hemutteredatlast，\"averytryingtime！\"
Mr。Bookerpouncedonhim。\"Averytryingtime！Soitwas——toallofus。Butwhatexcuseisthat——now，Mr。Scorrier，whatexcuseisthat？\"
Scorrierwasobligedtoadmitthatitwasnone。
\"Businessisbusiness——eh，what？\"
Scorrier，gazingroundthatneatBoard—room，nodded。Adeafdirector，whohadnotspokenforsomemonths，saidwithsuddenfierceness:\"It’sdisgraceful！\"Hewasobviouslylettingoffthefumeoflong—unuttereddisapprovals。Oneperfectlyneat，benevolentoldfellow，however，whohadkepthishaton，andhadasinglevice——
thatofcomingtotheBoard—roomwithabrownpaperparceltiedupwithstring——murmured:\"Wemustmakeallallowances，\"andstartedananecdoteabouthisyouth。Hewasgentlycalledtoorderbyhissecretary。Scorrierwasaskedforhisopinion。HelookedatHemmings。\"Myimportanceisconcerned，\"waswrittenalloverthesecretary’sface。MovedbyanimpulseofloyaltytoPippin，Scorrieranswered，asifitwereallsettled:\"Well，letmeknowwhenyouarestarting，Hemmings——Ishouldlikethetripmyself。\"
Ashewasgoingout，thechairman，oldJolyonForsyte，withagrave，twinklinglookatHemmings，tookhimaside。\"Gladtohearyousaythataboutgoingtoo，Mr。Scorrier;wemustbecareful——Pippin’ssuchagoodfellow，andsosensitive;andourfriendthere——abitheavyinthehand，um？\"
ScorrierdidinfactgooutwithHemmings。Thesecretarywassea—
sick，andhisprostration，dignifiedbutnoisy，remainedamemoryforever;itwassonorousandfine——theprostrationofsuperiority;andthewayinwhichhespokeofit，takingcasualacquaintancesintothecavesofhisexperience，wastrulyinteresting。
Pippincamedowntothecapitaltoescortthem，providedfortheircomfortsasiftheyhadbeenroyalty，andhadaspecialtraintotakethemtothemines。
Hewasalittlestouter，brighterofcolour，greyerofbeard，morenervousperhapsinvoiceandbreathing。HismannertoHemmingswasfullofflatteringcourtesy;buthissly，ironicalglancesplayedonthesecretary’sarmourlikeafountainonahippopotamus。ToScorrier，however，hecouldnotshowenoughaffection:
Thefirstevening，whenHemmingshadgonetohisroom，hejumpeduplikeaboyoutofschool。\"SoI’mgoingtogetawigging，\"hesaid;
\"IsupposeIdeserveit;butifyouknew——ifyouonlyknew……！Outherethey’venicknamedme’theKing’——theysayIrulethecolony。
It’smyselfthatIcan’trule\";andwithasuddenburstofpassionsuchasScorrierhadneverseeninhim:\"Whydidtheysendthismanhere？WhatcanheknowaboutthethingsthatI’vebeenthrough？\"Inamomenthecalmeddownagain。\"There！thisisverystupid;worryingyoulikethis！\"andwithalong，kindlookintoScorrier’sface，hehustledhimofftobed。
Pippindidnotbreakoutagain，thoughfireseemedtosmoulderbehindthebarsofhiscourteousirony。IntuitionofdangerhadevidentlysmittenHemmings，forhemadenoallusiontotheobjectofhisvisit。
ThereweremomentswhenScorrier’scommon—sensesidedwithHemmings——
theseweremomentswhenthesecretarywasnotpresent。
’Afterall，’hetoldhimself，’it’salittlethingtoask——oneletteramonth。Ineverheardofsuchacase。’Itwaswonderfulindeedhowtheystoodit！ItshowedhowmuchtheyvaluedPippin！Whatwasthematterwithhim？Whatwasthenatureofhistrouble？OneglimpseScorrierhadwhenevenHemmings，ashephrasedit，received\"quiteaturn。\"Itwasduringadrivebackfromthemostoutlyingofthecompany’strialmines，eightmilesthroughtheforest。Thetrackledthroughabeltoftreesblackenedbyaforestfire。Pippinwasdriving。Thesecretaryseatedbesidehimworeanexpressionoffaintalarm，suchasPippin’sdrivingwaswarrantedtoevokefromalmostanyface。Theskyhaddarkenedstrangely，butpalestreaksoflight，comingfromoneknewnotwhere，filteredthroughthetrees。Nobreathwasstirring;thewheelsandhorses’hoofsmadenosoundonthedeepfernmould。Allaround，theburnttree—trunks，leaflessandjagged，roselikewitheredgiants，thepassagesbetweenthemwereblack，theskyblack，andblackthesilence。Noonespoke，andliterallytheonlysoundwasPippin’sbreathing。Whatwasitthatwassoterrifying？Scorrierhadafeelingofentombment;thatnobodycouldhelphim;thefeelingofbeingfacetofacewithNature;asensationasifallthecomfortandsecurityofwordsandruleshaddroppedawayfromhim。And—nothinghappened。Theyreachedhomeanddined。
Duringdinnerhehadagainthatoldremembranceofalittlemanchoppingatacastlewithhissword。ItcameatamomentwhenPippinhadraisedhishandwiththecarving—knifegraspedinittoanswersomeremarkofHemmings’aboutthefutureofthecompany。Theoptimisminhisupliftedchin，thestrenuousenergyinhiswhisperingvoice，gaveScorrieramorevividglimpseofPippin’snaturethanhehadperhapseverhadbefore。Thisnewcountry，wherenothingbuthimselfcouldhelpaman——thatwasthecastle！NowonderPippinwasimpatientofcontrol，nowonderhewasoutofhand，nowonderhewassilent——choppingawayatthat！Andsuddenlyhethought:’Yes，andallthetimeoneknows，Naturemustbeathimintheend！’
ThatveryeveningHemmingsdeliveredhimselfofhisreproof。Hehadsatunusuallysilent;Scorrier，indeed，hadthoughthimalittledrunk，soportentouswashisgravity;suddenly，howeverherose。Itwashardonaman，hesaid，inhisposition，withaBoard（hespokeasofafamilyofsmallchildren），tobekeptsoshortofinformation。Hewasactuallycompelledtousehisimaginationtoanswertheshareholders’questions。Thiswaspainfulandhumiliating;hehadneverheardofanysecretaryhavingtousehisimagination！Hewentfurther——itwasinsulting！Hehadgrowngreyintheserviceofthecompany。Mr。Scorrierwouldbearhimoutwhenhesaidhehadapositiontomaintain——hisnameintheCitywasahighone;and，byGeorge！hewasgoingtokeepitahighone;hewouldallownobodytodragitinthedust——thatoughtclearlytobeunderstood。Hisdirectorsfelttheywerebeingtreatedlikechildren;howeverthatmightbe，itwasabsurdtosupposethathe（Hemmings）couldbetreatedlikeachild……！Thesecretarypaused;
hiseyesseemedtobullytheroom。
\"IftherewerenoLondonoffice，\"murmuredPippin，\"theshareholderswouldgetthesamedividends。\"
Hemmingsgasped。\"Come！\"hesaid，\"thisismonstrous！\"
\"WhathelpdidIgetfromLondonwhenIfirstcamehere？WhathelphaveIeverhad？\"
Hemmingsswayed，recovered，andwithaforcedsmilerepliedthat，ifthisweretrue，hehadbeenstandingonhisheadforyears;hedidnotbelievetheattitudepossibleforsuchalengthoftime;
personallyhewouldhavethoughtthathetoohadhadalittlesomethingtosaytothecompany’sposition，butnomatter……！Hisironywascrushing……ItwaspossiblethatMr。Pippinhopedtoreversetheexistinglawsoftheuniversewithregardtolimitedcompanies;hewouldmerelysaythathemustnotbeginwithacompanyofwhichhe（Hemmings）happenedtobesecretary。Mr。Scorrierhadhintedatexcuses;forhispart，withthebestintentionsintheworld，hehadgreatdifficultyinseeingthem。Hewouldgofurther——
hedidnotseethem！Theexplosion……！PippinshranksovisiblythatHemmingsseemedtroubledbyasuspicionthathehadgonetoofar。
\"Weknow，\"hesaid，\"thatitwastryingforyou……\"
\"Trying！\"\"burstoutPippin。
\"Noonecansay，\"Hemmingsresumedsoothingly，\"thatwehavenotdealtliberally。\"Pippinmadeamotionofthehead。\"Wethinkwehaveagoodsuperintendent;Igofurther，anexcellentsuperintendent。WhatIsayis:Let’sbepleasant！Iamnotmakinganunreasonablerequest！\"Heendedonafittingnoteofjocularity;
and，asifbyconsent，allthreewithdrew，eachtohisownroom，withoutanotherword。
InthecourseofthenextdayPippinsaidtoScorrier:\"ItseemsI
havebeenverywicked。Imusttrytodobetter\";andwithatouchofbitterhumour，\"Theyarekindenoughtothinkmeagoodsuperintendent，yousee！AfterthatImusttryhard。\"
Scorrierbrokein:\"Nomancouldhavedonesomuchforthem;\"and，carriedawaybyanimpulsetoputthingsabsolutelystraight，wenton\"But，afterall，aletternowandthen——whatdoesitamountto？\"
Pippinbesiegedhimwithasubtleglance。\"Youtoo？\"hesaid——
\"Imustindeedhavebeenawickedman！\"andturnedaway。
Scorrierfeltasifhehadbeenguiltyofbrutality;sorryforPippin，angrywithhimself;angrywithPippin，sorryforhimself。HeearnestlydesiredtoseethebackofHemmings。Thesecretarygratifiedthewishafewdayslater，departingbysteamerwithponderousexpressionsofregardandtheassuranceofhisgoodwill。
Pippingaveventtonooutburstofrelief，maintainingacourteoussilence，makingonlyoneallusiontohislateguest，inanswertoaremarkofScorrier:
\"Ah！don’ttemptme！mustn’tspeakbehindhisback。\"
Amonthpassed，andScorrierstill——remainedPippin’sguest。Aseachmail—dayapproachedheexperiencedaqueersuppressedexcitement。OnoneoftheseoccasionsPippinhadwithdrawntohisroom;andwhenScorrierwenttofetchhimtodinnerhefoundhimwithhisheadleaningonhishands，amidaperfectfitteroftornpaper。HelookedupatScorrier。
\"Ican’tdoit，\"hesaid，\"Ifeelsuchahypocrite;Ican’tputmyselfintoleading—stringsagain。WhyshouldIaskthesepeople，whenI’vesettledeverythingalready？Ifitwereavitalmattertheywouldn’twanttohear——they’dsimplywire，’Managethissomehow！’\"
Scorriersaidnothing，butthoughtprivately’Thisisamadbusiness！’Whatwasaletter？Whymakeafussaboutaletter？Theapproachofmail—dayseemedlikeanightmaretothesuperintendent;
hebecamefeverishlynervouslikeamanunderaspell;and，whenthemailhadgone，behavedlikearespitedcriminal。Andthishadbeengoingontwoyears！Eversincethatexplosion。Why，itwasmonomania！
Oneday，amonthafterHemmings’departure，Pippinroseearlyfromdinner;hisfacewasflushed，hehadbeendrinkingwine。\"Iwon’tbebeatenthistime，\"hesaid，ashepassedScorrier。Thelattercouldhearhimwritinginthenextroom，andlookedinpresentlytosaythathewasgoingforawalk。Pippingavehimakindlynod。
Itwasacool，stillevening:innumerablestarsswarmedinclustersovertheforests，formingbrighthieroglyphicsinthemiddleheavens，showeringoverthedarkharbourintothesea。Scorrierwalkedslowly。Aweightseemedliftedfromhismind，soentangledhadhebecomeinthatuncannysilence。AtlastPippinhadbrokenthroughthespell。Togetthat，lettersentwouldbethelayingofaphantom，therehabilitationofcommonsense。Nowthatthissilencewasinthethroesofbeingbroken，hefeltcuriouslytendertowardsPippin，withoutthehero—worshipofolddays，butwithaqueerprotectivefeeling。Afterall，hewasdifferentfromothermen。Inspiteofhisfeverish，tenaciousenergy，inspiteofhisironichumour，therewassomethingofthewomaninhim！Andasforthissilence，thishorrorofcontrol——allgeniuseshad\"beesintheirbonnets，\"andPippinwasageniusinhisway！
Helookedbackatthetown。Brilliantlylightedithadathrivingair—difficulttobelieveoftheplaceherememberedtenyearsback;
thesoundsofdrinking，gambling，laughter，anddancingfloatedtohisears。’Quiteacity！’hethought。
Withthisqueerelationonhimhewalkedslowlybackalongthestreet，forgettingthathewassimplyanoldishminingexpert，withalookofshabbiness，suchasclingstomenwhoarealwaystravelling，asiftheir\"nap\"wereforeverbeingrubbedoff。AndhethoughtofPippin，creatorofthisglory。
Hehadpassedtheboundariesofthetown，andhadenteredtheforest。
Afeelingofdiscouragementinstantlybesethim。Thescentsandsilence，afterthefestivecriesandodoursofthetown，wereundefinablyoppressive。Notwithstanding，hewalkedalongtime，sayingtohimselfthathewouldgivethelettereverychance。Atlast，whenhethoughtthatPippinmusthavefinished，hewentbacktothehouse。
Pippinhadfinished。Hisforeheadrestedonthetable，hisarmshungathissides;hewasstone—dead！Hisfaceworeasmile，andbyhissidelayanemptylaudanumbottle。
Theletter，closely，beautifullywritten，laybeforehim。Itwasafinedocument，clear，masterly，detailed，nothingslurred，nothingconcealed，nothingomitted;acompletereviewofthecompany’sposition;itendedwiththewords:\"Yourhumbleservant，RICHARD
PIPPIN。\"
Scorriertookpossessionofit。Hedimlyunderstoodthatwiththoselastwordsawirehadsnapped。Theborder—linehadbeenoverpassed;
thepointreachedwherethatsenseofproportion，whichalonemakeslifepossible，islost。HewascertainthatatthemomentofhisdeathPippincouldhavediscussedbimetallism，oranyintellectualproblem，excepttheoneproblemofhisownheart;that，forsomemysteriousreason，hadbeentoomuchforhim。Hisdeathhadbeentheworkofamomentofsupremerevolt——asingleinstantofmadnessonasinglesubject！Hefoundontheblotting—paper，scrawledacrosstheimpressofthesignature，\"Can’tstandit！\"ThecompletionofthatletterhadbeentohimastruggleungraspablebyScorrier。Slavery？
Defeat？AviolationofNature？Thedeathofjustice？Itwerebetternottothinkofit！Pippincouldhavetold——buthewouldneverspeakagain。Nature，atwhom，unaided，hehaddealtsomanyblows，hadtakenherrevenge……！
InthenightScorrierstoledown，and，withanashamedface，cutoffalockofthefinegreyhair。’Hisdaughtermightlikeit！’hethought……
HewaitedtillPippinwasburied，then，withtheletterinhispocket，startedforEngland。
HearrivedatLiverpoolonaThursdaymorning，andtravellingtotown，drovestraighttotheofficeofthecompany。TheBoardweresitting。Pippin’ssuccessorwasalreadybeinginterviewed。HepassedoutasScorriercamein，amiddle—agedmanwithalarge，redbeard，andafoxy，compromisingface。HealsowasaCornishman。
Scorrierwishedhimluckwithaveryheavyheart。
Asanunsentimentalman，whohadaproperhorrorofemotion，whoselivingdependedonhisgoodsense，tolookbackonthatinterviewwiththeBoardwaspainful。Ithadexcitedinhimarageofwhichhewasnowheartilyashamed。OldJolyonForsyte，thechairman，wasnotthereforonce，guessingperhapsthattheBoard’sviewofthisdeathwouldbetoosmallforhim;andlittleMr。Bookersatinhisplace。
Everyonehadrisen，shakenhandswithScorrier，andexpressedthemselvesindebtedforhiscoming。ScorrierplacedPippin’sletteronthetable，andgravelythesecretaryreadouttohisBoardthelastwordsoftheirsuperintendent。Whenhehadfinished，adirectorsaid，\"That’snottheletterofamadman！\"Anotheranswered:\"Madasahatter;nobodybutamadmanwouldhavethrownupsuchapost。\"
Scorriersuddenlywithdrew。HeheardHemmingscallingafterhim。
\"Aren’tyouwell，Mr。Scorrier？aren’tyouwell，sir？\"
Heshoutedback:\"Quitesane，Ithankyou……
TheNaples\"express\"rolledroundtheoutskirtsofthetown。
Vesuviusshoneinthesun，uncrownedbysmoke。ButevenasScorrierlooked，awhitepuffwentsoaringup。Itwasthefootnotetohismemories。
February1901。
