she hinted he might get a better post.

"Perhaps I ought not to have come up. In fact, I hesitated--"

Duveen laughed. "So I remarked! You reckoned the Occidental stoop was
pretty public and your talking to me might imply that you wanted my
support? Well, I'll risk that. It's obvious you're on the short list. Do
you want a post?"

For a moment or two Lister pondered. He did want a post; anyhow, he
ought to try for it. On the whole he liked Duveen, and thought he might
have liked Ruth better had she not been rich. All the same, Duveen was a
shrewd manipulator of new industries and to take a post by his favor
would be to own a debt, for which payment might be demanded. Yet Duveen
had been kind and Lister hesitated.

"I asked for a post," he said. "If I'm engaged, I'll try to make good;
but I must make good at the dam or on the ditch. Then I don't want to
bother my friends. The company has my engineering record and must judge
my usefulness by this. If they're not satisfied, I won't grumble much."

"You're an independent fellow, but I think I understand," Duveen
rejoined with a twinkle. "A company director's duty _is_ to judge an
applicant for a post by his professional record. If you are appointed,
you want us to appoint you because we believe you are the proper man?"

"Something like that," said Lister quietly.

Duveen nodded, and his glance rested for a moment on Lister's forehead.