He went away and Festing studied the drawings.  He had undertaken to cut and dress to size the heavy logs required for the lower posts of trestles and foundation piles.  So far, he did not apprehend much difficulty, but he would run some risk over the underpinning of part of the track.  In order to make a secure and permanent road-bed, it would have been necessary to cut back the hillside for some distance and then distribute the spoil about the slope below, but the engineers had chosen a quicker and cheaper plan.  Heavy timbers would be driven into the face of the hill to make a foundation for the track, which would be partly dug out of, and partly built on to, the declivity.  Where the main piles reached the rock the plan would be safe, but where they were bedded in gravel there was danger of their giving way under a heavy load.  Festing knew he must share the risk of this happening with the head contractor.

By and by somebody knocked at the door, and he got up abruptly as a man came in.

“Dalton!” he exclaimed.

The other smiled and threw off his wet slickers.  It was getting dark, but the firelight touched his face and Festing studied him with surprise.  The lad, whom he had not seen for some years, had grown into a man, and had moreover a look of quiet authority.  He had made rapid progress if he had, as Kerr had stated, been sent to report upon the latter’s work.

“You don’t seem to have expected me, though, to some extent, I’m responsible for your being here,” he said.  “However, I’m remarkably glad we have met again.”

Festing, awkwardly conscious that his welcome was somewhat cold, indicated a chair, and sitting down opposite began to fill his pipe.  Dalton sometimes wrote to Helen, but had not mentioned his being sent to British Columbia.

“Well,” he said, “I was glad to hear you had got a move up once or twice, but it looks as if you had gone farther than I thought.”

“I had the advantage of a proper training, and the reputation of the engineer who gave it me counted for something, although I might never have got my chance in this country but for you.  Now I’m happy if I’ve been able to show my gratitude.  When Kerr brought your name forward I told him to see you got the contract.”

“You did more than you knew,” said Festing.  “It looks as if you hadn’t heard from Helen.”

“Not for a time; I hope she’s well.  I’d thought about coming West to see you, but couldn’t get away, and she talked about your going to Montreal this winter.”

“That’s off, of course.  It’s plain you don’t know that Helen and I have quarreled.”

Dalton looked up sharply, but was silent for a moment or two.

“This is a nasty knock,” he said.  “I don’t know if my relation to you justifies my venturing on dangerous ground, but do you feel at liberty to tell me what you quarreled about?”

Festing decided that Charnock’s part in the matter must be kept dark.  It was unthinkable that Dalton should imagine he suspected his wife.