Part 52 (2/2)

Clifford Matheson, Esq. (Chairman).

The Right Hon. Lord St Aubyn, P.C., K.C.V.O.

Sir Francis Letchmere, Bart.

Gervase Lowndes Hawley Carleton-Wingate, Esq., M.P.

Lars Larssen, Esq. (Managing Director). To join the Board after allotment.

The capital was divided into 5,000,000 Ordinary 1 Shares, and 4,000,000 Deferred Shares of 1s. The latter were a.s.signed to the vendor, Lars Larssen, in payment for various considerations. He had also underwritten the entire issue of Ordinary Shares for a commission of 3 per cent. The lists for subscription were to open on May 1st and close at midday on May 3rd. The London and United Kingdom Bank, in which Lord St. Aubyn was a Director, was receiving subscriptions and carrying out the routine of issuing allotment letters.

Such in essence was the prospectus of Hudson Bay Transport, Ltd. It embodied every point that Larssen aimed for. It was entirely legal, since Matheson had O.K.'d a copy of the prospectus, and the further agreement between the two men had been technically evaded by the fact of Larssen underwriting the entire issue himself.

By the time the ”Starlight” reached Norway, the subscription lists would be closed and Matheson would be impotent to veto the issue. If he were three days on the high seas between France and Norway, Larssen would have gained the control of Britain's wheat-supply.

And Matheson had no knowledge of the daring game that his adversary was venturing. Not even a suspicion of it. In his pocket was the s.h.i.+powner's agreement to extend their truce to May 20th. His mind was at rest regarding the Hudson Bay Scheme.

His thoughts were now centred on Olive and the strange _volte face_ in her feelings towards him. The change in her was scarcely understandable.

Yet it was entirely a normal outcome of her essential character. Olive had never appreciated Clifford's value to herself until that day at Wiesbaden when she had realised his value to the woman who was ready to sacrifice her reputation and her happiness in order to free his hands.

The torrent of bitter words she had poured on Elaine was the reflex action of that sudden realisation. It was born of uncontrollable jealousy.

Now she wanted to win Clifford back. It was not sufficient that he had returned to her side. She wanted his regard, his esteem, his affection, his love. She wanted a child by him to bind them together. The tenderness with which she was looking after Larssen's little son was an outward expression of that inner hope. It was a prophecy of the future.

Olaf stood for what might be. If she should have a child of her own, she felt convinced that Clifford would remain with her.

Those feelings were now the focus of Olive's thoughts. The sincerity of her greeting to Clifford was not an a.s.sumed emotion. It was inner-real.

And yet it might not last for long. The effect of her drug-taking was to make every momentary feeling seem an eternal, ineradicable mainspring of action. Her many moods were each at the moment vitally important to her.

They obsessed her. The morphia had not only undermined her physical health, but had made her mind the prey of every pa.s.sing emotion.

For his part, Matheson was trying to weigh up the essential value of this sudden change in his wife. He admitted the sincerity; he doubted the permanency. He realised that she ardently desired a child of her own--that was plain to read from her att.i.tude towards Larssen's son. But in the past she had always been impatient with children, and he questioned whether her present feeling was more than transitory.

The morning of May 1st brought grey sky, grey waters, and a tumbling sea. The yacht was beating north-east, close-hauled, into a stiff breeze from eastwards. No land was in sight--only a few trawler sails and a squat, ugly tramp steamer flinging a pennant of black smoke to westwards. As the day wore on the wind rose steadily, and in the afternoon the watch turned out to reef sails. Matheson was an excellent sailor, and this tussle with the elements exhilarated him. Olive, too, was quite at home on board a yacht, and the two marched the decks together in keen enjoyment of the bite of the wind and the whip of the salt spray.

By nightfall the wind had increased to a half-gale but the ”Starlight”

rode through the sea in splendid defiance, sure of her staunchness and steady in her purpose.

In this fight for the control of Britain's wheat-supply, Larssen had played to the highest his powers of intellect, his foresight, and his ruthless determination. He had forced the signature of Clifford Matheson to the draft prospectus, thus sanctioning its issue. He had evaded by one daring stroke the spirit of his own signed agreement. He had most carefully and minutely arranged for the flotation of the company at the time when Matheson would be on the high seas and out of touch with London news.

The ”Starlight” was a well-found yacht, capable of weathering any North Sea gale. She had oil-engines to supplement her sailing power. She was provisioned for a month. Rough weather would not drive her back to harbour. She could fight through any wind or sea to Norway. Nothing had been overlooked to carry Larssen's scheme to perfect success.

Save only the hand of Providence.... Fate....

For such a man as Lars Larssen there is no other antagonist he need fear.

But Fate, with its little finger, can squeeze him to nothingness.

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