Page:Roy Norton--The unknown Mr Kent.djvu/226

 is stirring up a revolt on the new lines. He is encouraging the men to demand a share in the profits of the mine, and leads them to believe that if they can win this step, they can get anything they want."

She paused for breath, and was surprised that her news had so little effect on the American.

"Thank you," he said, "for coming to tell me about it; but I knew it already."

"And you are calmly letting him go ahead with this vile campaign?"

She could not understand such complacency.

"Yes," he said. "In fact I am surreptitiously encouraging him. Want to see just how far he can go. Things have been rather dull around here lately. Provarsk promises some entertainment."

He stared at the floor and his face softened by thought.

"It's great!" he declared before she could find speech. "Positively great! I knew you had it in you. By Jove! I knew it. "

She feared that something had gronegone [sic] wrong with his mentality and with an anxious, bewildered question strove to bring him back to realities.

"What do you mean? Great? I was talking of Provarsk 's treachery."

"I mean," he said, slowly and unreasonably embarrassed, "that you are great. Why, just [222]