Carnac's Folly, Volume 1.

ier said presently, his right hand clutching uncon

forget me when I was m

sense and judgment, and you ain't afr

pped the statue cl

part of his world of responsibility. Then John Grier had pulled him back into industry and he had since desired to ascend,

r eyes, the glow of her cheek, had made his pulses throb as they had never throbbed before. He had put the thought of her away from him,

arnac and the girl were suited to each other-that was clear; and the girl was enticing, provoking and bewildering-that was the modelling fact. He had satisfaction that he had displaced Carnac in this great business, and

s whole career. It would, he was sure, alter his foot-steps in the future. He had

er-king, who had given him more confidence than he had given to anyone else in the world. As near as he could come to anyone, he had come to John Grier. There had been differences between them, but he, Tarboe, fought for his own idea,

that when he could do all this!" He swept his arm in a great circle which included the horizon beyond the doors

hat you are." He nodded towards the statue. "You think that's pottering. I thin

he wanted. If it could not be got by the straight means, then it must be by the crooked, and that was where he and Grier lay

nfully. "You gave him a chance to do it in your way, and you were turne

man almost rabidly. "You mean he'll do the t

not sure whether it will be like that or not, but I know you've got a

en the old man began walking up and

ved for it, prayed for it, believed in it, and tried to make my wife and my boys feel as I do about it, and none of them cares as I

ly, because it seemed to him that the old ma

but she don't care as I d

ught her," remarked T

ing; she knew the life I had to live; she was lifted

use and servants and comfort

hat right?" sn

t you want. It's right, but it's wrong too. Women want

od that between him and John Grier there must always be a flood. He realized that there was in Grier some touch of the insane thing; somethi

you pleasure, but what you've said about my boy coming back has made me change what I was going to

ned Tarboe. "Not

and good sense, and business ability, and what more does a man

knitting the cracks in the building. What was in my mind is this-to leave you when I die the whole of my

e fair to your w

s. Nothing could save it. He'd spoil it, because he don't care for

ll it," inter

said Grier wildly.

cious reply. The demon of

d tree I've got-sweep it out of existence, and die a beggar than sell it to Belloc!" Froth gathered at

cent. above what it's worth it might be

nt this business to live. I want Grier's business to live long after John Grier has gone. That's why I was going to say to you th

u the business, if you'll make a bargain with me. I want you to run it for three years, and take for yourself all the pr

the three years," said T

ome right, and it will be playing fair to him to let him run himself alone, maybe with help from his mother, for three years. That's long enough, and perhaps the thought of what he might have had will work its way with him. If it don't-well, it won't; that's all;

le. There was a long silence, in which the ticking of the clock upon the wall seemed unduly loud and

y?" asked Grier at last

uietly. "I don't quite see about these two will

of it. That shows how much I trust you, Tarboe. I'll

hing should

for three years, or unless you died, and it would say tha

t," but there was a c

eing Tarboe's doubt. "It's the biggest

fe could be worth living, if the huge machinery were always in his fingers. Yet he had never expected it, and life was a problem. Who could tell? Perhaps-per

l do

worth an

n us," decl

you going

ut some paper and sat dow

hn Grier