dragged　in　to　share　that　fight。　　The　London　Board…room　rose　before
  his　mind。　　He　imagined　the　portentous　gravity　of　Hemmings；　his　face
  and　voice　and　manner　conveying　the　impression　that　he　alone　could
  save　the　situation；　the　six　directors；　all　men　of　commonsense　and
  certainly　humane；　seated　behind　large　turret…shaped　inkpots；　the
  concern　and　irritation　in　their　voices；　asking　how　it　could　have
  happened；　their　comments：　〃An　awful　thing！〃　　〃I　suppose　Pippin　is
  doing　the　best　he　can！〃　　〃Wire　him　on　no　account　to　leave　the　mine
  idle！〃　　〃Poor　devils！〃　　〃A　fund？　　Of　course；　what　ought　we　to　give？〃
  He　had　a　strong　conviction　that　nothing　of　all　this　would　disturb　the
  commonsense　with　which　they　would　go　home　and　eat　their　mutton。　　A
  good　thing　too；　the　less　it　was　taken　to　heart　the　better！　　But
  Scorrier　felt　angry。　　The　fight　was　so　unfair！　　A　fellow　all　nerves
  with　not　a　soul　to　help　him！　　Well；　it　was　his　own　lookout！　　He　had
  chosen　to　centre　it　all　in　himself；　to　make　himself　its　very　soul。
  If　he　gave　way　now；　the　ship　must　go　down！　　By　a　thin　thread；
  Scorrier's　hero…worship　still　held。　　'Man　against　nature；'　he
  thought；　'I　back　the　man。'　　The　struggle　in　which　he　was　so　powerless
  to　give　aid；　became　intensely　personal　to　him；　as　if　he　had　engaged
  his　own　good　faith　therein。
  The　next　day　they　went　down　again　to　the　pit…head；　and　Scorrier
  himself　descended。　　The　fumes　had　almost　cleared；　but　there　were　some
  places　which　would　never　be　reached。　　At　the　end　of　the　day　all　but
  four　bodies　had　been　recovered。　　〃In　the　day　o'　judgment；〃　a　miner
  said；　〃they　four'll　come　out　of　here。〃　　Those　unclaimed　bodies
  haunted　Scorrier。　　He　came　on　sentences　of　writing；　where　men　waiting
  to　be　suffocated　had　written　down　their　feelings。　　In　one　place；　the
  hour；　the　word　〃Sleepy；〃　and　a　signature。　　In　another；　〃A。　F。done
  for。〃　　When　he　came　up　at　last　Pippin　was　still　waiting；　pocket…book
  in　hand；　they　again　departed　at　a　furious　pace。
  Two　days　later　Scorrier；　visiting　the　shaft；　found　its　neighbourhood
  desertednot　a　living　thing　of　any　sort　was　there　except　one
  Chinaman　poking　his　stick　into　the　rubbish。　　Pippin　was　away　down　the
  coast　engaging　an　engineer；　and　on　his　return；　Scorrier　had　not　the
  heart　to　tell　him　of　the　desertion。　　He　was　spared　the　effort；　for
  Pippin　said：　〃Don't　be　afraidyou've　got　bad　news？　　The　men　have
  gone　on　strike。〃
  Scorrier　sighed。　　〃Lock；　stock；　and　barrel〃
  〃I　thought　sosee　what　I　have　here！〃　He　put　before　Scorrier　a
  telegram：
  〃At　all　costs　keep　workingfatal　to　stopmanage　this　somehow。
  HEMMINGS。〃
  Breathing　quickly；　he　added：　〃As　if　I　didn't　know！　'Manage　this
  somehow'a　little　hard！〃
  〃What's　to　be　done？〃　asked　Scorrier。
  〃You　see　I　am　commanded！〃　Pippin　answered　bitterly。　　〃And　they're
  quite　right；　we　must　keep　workingour　contracts！　　Now　I'm　downnot
  a　soul　will　spare　me！〃
  The　miners'　meeting　was　held　the　following　day　on　the　outskirts　of
  the　town。　　Pippin　had　cleared　the　place　to　make　a　public　recreation…
  grounda　sort　of　feather　in　the　company's　cap；　it　was　now　to　be　the
  spot　whereon　should　be　decided　the　question　of　the　company's　life　or
  death。
  The　sky　to　the　west　was　crossed　by　a　single　line　of　cloud　like　a　bar
  of　beaten　gold；　tree　shadows　crept　towards　the　groups　of　men；　the
  evening　savour；　that　strong　fragrance　of　the　forest；　sweetened　the
  air。　　The　miners　stood　all　round　amongst　the　burnt　tree…stumps；　cowed
  and　sullen。　　They　looked　incapable　of　movement　or　expression。　　It　was
  this　dumb　paralysis　that　frightened　Scorrier。　　He　watched　Pippin
  speaking　from　his　phaeton；　the　butt　of　all　those　sullen；　restless
  eyes。　　Would　he　last　out？　　Would　the　wires　hold？　　It　was　like　the
  finish　of　a　race。　　He　caught　a　baffled　look　on　Pippin's　face；　as　if
  he　despaired　of　piercing　that　terrible　paralysis。　　The　men's　eyes　had
  begun　to　wander。　　'He's　lost　his　hold；'　thought　Scorrier；　'it's　all
  up！'
  A　miner　close　beside　him　muttered：　〃Look　out！〃
  Pippin　was　leaning　forward；　his　voice　had　risen；　the　words　fell　like
  a　whiplash　on　the　faces　of　the　crowd：　〃You　shan't　throw　me　over；　do
  you　think　I'll　give　up　all　I've　done　for　you？　　I'll　make　you　the
  first　power　in　the　colony！　　Are　you　turning　tail　at　the　first　shot？
  You're　a　set　of　cowards；　my　lads！〃
  Each　man　round　Scorrier　was　listening　with　a　different　motion　of　the
  handsone　rubbed　them；　one　clenched　them；　another　moved　his　closed
  fist；　as　if　stabbing　some　one　in　the　back。　　A　grisly…bearded；　beetle…
  browed；　twinkling…eyed　old　Cornishman　muttered：　〃A'hm　not　troublin'
  about　that。〃　　It　seemed　almost　as　if　Pippin's　object　was　to　get　the
  men　to　kill　him；　they　had　gathered　closer；　crouching　for　a　rush。
  Suddenly　Pippin's　voice　dropped　to　a　whisper：　〃I'm　disgraced
  Men；　are　you　going　back　on　me？〃
  The　old　miner　next　Scorrier　called　out　suddenly：　〃Anny　that's
  Cornishmen　here　to　stand　by　the　superintendent？〃　　A　group　drew
  together；　and　with　murmurs　and　gesticulation　the　meeting　broke　up。
  In　the　evening　a　deputation　came　to　visit　Pippin；　and　all　night　long
  their　voices　and　the　superintendent's　footsteps　could　be　heard。　　In
  the　morning；　Pippin　went　early　to　the　mine。　　Before　supper　the
  deputation　came　again；　and　again　Scorrier　had　to　listen　hour　after
  hour　to　the　sound　of　voices　and　footsteps　till　he　fell　asleep。　　Just
  before　dawn　he　was　awakened　by　a　light。　　Pippin　stood　at　his　bedside。
  〃The　men　go　down　to…morrow；〃　he　said：　〃What　did　I　tell　you？　　Carry　me
  home　on　my　shield；　eh？〃
  In　a　week　the　mine　was　in　full　work。
  V
  Two　years　later；　Scorrier　heard　once　more　of　Pippin。　　A　note　from
  Hemmings　reached　him　asking　if　he　could　make　it　convenient　to　attend
  their　Board　meeting　the　following　Thursday。　　He　arrived　rather　before
  the　appointed　time。　　The　secretary　received　him；　and；　in　answer　to
  inquiry；　said：　〃Thank　you；　we　are　doing　wellbetween　ourselves；　we
  are　doing　very　well。〃
  〃And　Pippin？〃
  The　secretary　frowned。　　〃Ah；　Pippin！　We　asked　you　to　come　on　his
  account。　　Pippin　is　giving　us　a　lot　of　trouble。　　We　have　not　had　a
  single　line　from　him　for　just　two　years！〃　　He　spoke　with　such　a　sense
  of　personal　grievance　that　Scorrier　felt　quite　sorry　for　him。　　〃Not　a
  single　line；〃　said　Hemmings；　〃since　that　explosionyou　were　there　at
  the　time；　I　remember！　　It　makes　it　very　awkward；　I　call　it　personal
  to　me。〃
  〃But　how〃　Scorrier　began。
  〃We　gettelegrams。　　He　writes　to　no　one；　not　even　to　his　family。
  And　why？　　Just　tell　me　why？　　We　hear　of　him；　he's　a　great　nob　out
  there。　　Nothing's　done　in　the　colony　without　his　finger　being　in　the
  pie。　　He　turned　out　the　last　Government　because　they　wouldn't　grant
  us　an　extension　for　our　railwayshows　he　can't　be　a　fool。　　Besides；
  look　at　our　balance…sheet！〃
  It　turned　out　that　the　question　on　which　Scorrier's　opinion　was
  desired　was；　whether　Hemmings　should　be　sent　out　to　see　what　was　the
  matter　with　the　superintendent。　　During　the　discussion　which。
  ensued；　he　was　an　unwilling　listener　to　strictures　on　Pippin's
  silence。　　〃The　explosion；〃　he　muttered　at　last；　〃a　very　trying　time！〃
  Mr。　Booker　pounced　on　him。　　〃A　very　trying　time！　　So　it　wasto　all
  of　us。　　But　what　excuse　is　thatnow；　Mr。　Scorrier；　what　excuse　is
  that？〃
  Scorrier　was　obliged　to　admit　that　it　was　none。
  〃Business　is　businesseh；　what？〃
  Scorrier；　gazing　round　that　neat　Board…room；　nodded。　　A　deaf
  director；　who　had　not　spoken　for　some　months；　said　with　sudden
  fierceness：　〃It's　disgraceful！〃　　He　was　obviously　letting　off　the
  fume　of　long…unuttered　disapprovals。　　One　perfectly　neat；　benevolent
  old　fellow；　however；　who　had　kept　his　hat　on；　and　had　a　single　vice
  that　of　coming　to　the　Board…room　with　a　brown　paper　parcel　tied　up
  with　stringmurmured：　〃We　must　make　all　allowances；〃　and　started　an
  anecdote　about　his　youth。　　He　was　gently　called　to　order　by　his
  secretary。　　Scorrier　was　asked　for　his　opinion。　　He　looked　at
  Hemmings。　　〃My　importance　is　concerned；〃　was　written　all　over　the
  secretary's　face。　　Moved　by　an　impulse　of　loyalty　to　Pippin；　Scorrier
  answered；　as　if　it　were　all　settled：　〃　Well；　let　me　know　when　you　are
  starting；　HemmingsI　should　like　the　trip　myself。〃
  As　he　was　going　out；　the　chairman；　old　Jolyon　Forsyte；　with　a　grave；
  twinkling　look　at　Hemmings；　took　him　aside。　　〃Glad　to　hear　you　say
  that　about　going　too；　Mr。　Scorrier；　we　must　be　carefulPippin's　such
  a　good　fellow；　and　so　sensitive；　and　our　friend　therea　bit　heavy　in
  the　hand；　um？〃
  Scorrier　did　in　fact　go　out　with　Hemmings。　　The　secretary　was　sea…
  sick；　and　his　prostration；　dignified　but　noisy；　remained　a　memory　for
  ever；　it　was　sonorous　and　finethe　prostration　of　superiority；　and
  the　way　in　which　he　spoke　of　it；　taking　casual　acquaintances　into　the
  caves　of　his　experience；　was　truly　interesting。
  Pippin　came　down　to　the　capital　to　escort　them；　provided　for　their
  comforts　as　if　they　had　been　royalty；　and　had　a　special　train