“Not a thing, my dear,” he said.  “No.  You’ve done everything.  You couldn’t have done more if—­if you’d been the most experienced woman schemer in big business.  You went up to prepare the ground for our business.  Well, you prepared it in a way I’d never have guessed.  You’ve brought this hard business head, Bull Sternford, right down out of his fortress to meet us on our business proposition.  Guess only you could have done that.”  He laughed.  “And this man saved your life, eh?  And he carried you in his arms to—­safety.  Say he was lucky.  That’s something any man would be crazy to do.  Well, well, I—­”

He rose from his chair and passed round to the window where he stood with back turned.  Nancy’s gaze followed him.  For all his praise she was disturbed.

The man at the window saw nothing of that upon which he gazed.  His eyes were unsmiling now that the girl could no longer observe them.  They were the eyes of a man of unbridled jealous fury.  They were burning with an insensate hatred for the man who had hitherto been only a stranger rival in business.

Oh, he understood.  Was it likely that this Bull Sternford was going to yield for a business proposition in this fashion at the request of a formidable rival?  Was he going to change all his plans at the bidding of the Skandinavia, and seize the first boat to come and tell them he was prepared to fall for any plans they might design to beat him?  Not likely.  No.  It was the girl he had fallen for.  He had changed his plans for her, and for his nerve he had reaped a harvest such as he, Peterman, had never reaped.  He had held this beautiful creature in his arms, this innocent, red-haired child, whom he, Peterman, had marked down for his own.  For how long?  And she was all unconscious.  Oh, it was maddening, infuriating.  And—­

Suddenly he came back to the desk.  Nancy was relieved as she beheld the familiar smiling kindness in his eyes.

“Well, my dear.  I can’t tell you how delighted I am to get you back,” he said, pausing at her side.  “My work’s not been by any means satisfactory with you away.  There’s just no one suits me in this house like you.  But the thing I’m most glad about is your success.  That’s been wonderful.  I felt you would make good, but I didn’t know how good.  Now I’m going to ring this fellow up and fix things to see him.  Meanwhile you get your big report of the camps ready for the Board.  Then, when you’re ready, I’m going to let them see you, and hear it all from you first hand, and I’m going to get them to give you the head of the forestry department right here.  It’ll be a mighty jump, but—­well—­”

Nancy was on her feet and her eyes were shining a gratitude which words could never express.  Impulsively she held out a hand in ardent thanks.

“Why, say—­” she began.

The man had seized the delicate tapering fingers and held them warmly in the palms of both of his.