ThE TEMPTING OF TAVERNAKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14708, 16 June 1911, Page 3

ThE TEMPTING OF TAVERNAKE.

PUBLISHED BV SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

BY E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM, Author of "The Mysterious Mr. Snfoin," "A Maker of History, " The Secret Con* tors," etc., etc. [COPYRIGHT.] CHAPTER X.—(Continued.) Tavkrn'akk hesitated for ;i moment. Finally, however, ho proceeded to make clear a very elaborate and carefully-thought-out building scheme, to which both men listened with much attention. When he had finished, however, ho turned round to Mr. Dowling, facing him. squarely. " You will understand, sir," he concluded, "that a scheme such as J have pointed out could only be carried through if the whole of the property were in ono person's hands. I may say that the information to which you referred a few days ago was perfectly correct. A considerable portion of the south wide of the hill lias already been purchased, besides certain other plots which would interfere considerably with any comprehensive scheme of building." Mr. Dowliug's face fell at once; his tone was one of annoyance mingled with irritation.

" Come, come," he declared, " Wiis sounds very had, Mr. Tavernake —very neglectful, very careless as to the interests of the firm. Why did we not keep our eye upon it? Why did we not forestall this other purchaser, eh? It appears to me that we have been slack, very slack indeed." Tavernake look a small book from hie pocket. " You will remember, sir," he said, "that it was on May 11 of last year when I hist spoke to you of this site." "Well, well," Mr. Dowling exclaimed sharply, " what of it?"

~ " You were starting out for a fortnight's golf somewhere," Tavernake continued, '"and you promised to look into the affair when you returned. I spoko to you again, but you declared ' that you were far too busy to go into the matter at all for the present; you didn't care about this side of London, you considered that we had enough on hand —in fact, you threw cold water upon the idea."

" I may not have been very enthusiastic at first," Mr. Dowling admitted, grudgingly. " Latterly, however, I have come round to your views." "There have been several articles in various newspapers, and a good deal of talk," Tavernake remarked, "which have been more effectual, I think, in bringing you round than my advice. However, what I wish to say to you is this, sir, that when I found myself unable to interest you in this scheme I went into it myself to some extent." "Went into it yourself?" Mr. Dowling repeated incredulously. "What do you mean, Tavernake? What do you mean, sir? " "I mean that I have invested my savings in the purchase of several plots of land, upon this hillside," Tavernake explained. "On your own account?" Mr. Dowling demanded. " Your savings, indeed!" "Certainly," Tavernake answered. "Why not?" " " But it's the firm's business, —the firm's, not yours. The firm bad the opportunity," Tavernake pointed out, "and were not inclined to avail themselves of it. If I had not bought the land when I did someone else would have bought the whole of it long ago."

Mr. Dowling was obviously in a furious temper.

"Do you mean to tell me. sir," he exclaimed, "that you dared to outer into private speculation whilst still an employee of the firm? It is a most unheard of thing, unwarranted, ridiculous. I shall require you, sir, to at once make over the plots of land to us—to the firm, you understand. Wo shall give you your price, of course, although I expect you paid much more for it than we should have done. Still, we must give you what you paid, ana 4 per cent, interest for your money." "I am sorry," Tavernake replied, "but I am afraid that I should require better terms than that. In fact," he continued, "I. do not wish to sell. I have given a great deal of thought and time to this matter, and I intend to carry it out as a personal speculation." " Then you will carry it out, sir, from some other place than from within the walls of my office," Mr. Dowling declared, furiously. "You understand that, Tavernake?"* "Perfectly," Tavernake answered. "You wish me to leave you. It is very unwise of you to suggest it, but I am quite prepared to go."

"You will either resell me those plots at cost price, or you shall not set foot within the-office again," Mr. Dowling in : sisted. " it's a gross breach of faith, this. I never heard of such a thing in my life. Most unprofessional, impossible behaviour." Tavernake showed no signs of anger simply turned a little away. " I shall not sell you my land, Mr. Dowling," lie said, "and it will suit me very well to leave your employ. You appear," he continued, to expect .someone else to do the whole of the work for you whilst you reap the entire, profits. Those days have gone by. My business in the world is to make a fortune for myself, not for you." "How dare you, sir," Mr. Dowling cried. " I never heard such impertience in ray life." ' " You haven't done a stroke of work for five years," Tavernake went on, unmoved, " and my efforts have supplied you with a fairly good income. In future those efforts will be directed towards my own advancement."

Mr. Bowling turned back towards tho car. "Young man," he said, "you can brazen it. out as much as you like, but you have been guilty of a gross breach of faith. 1 shall take care that the exact situation is piado known in nil responsible quarters. You'll get no situation with any firm with whom 1 am acquainted — 1 can promise you that. If you have anything more to say to Dowling, Spence and Co. let it be in writing." They, parted company there and then. Tavernako and Beatrice went down the hill in silence. "Does this bother you at all?" she inHired presently. " Nothing to speak of," Tavernake answered. " It had to come. 1, wasn't quite ready, but that, doesn't matter." "What, shall you do now?" she asked. Borrow enough to buy the whole of the hill." he replied. .She looked hick. " Won't that mean a great deal of money? " lie nodded. "It will bo a big tiling, of course," he admitted. "Nevermind, J. dare say 1 shall bo able to interest someone in it. In any case, 1 never meant Mr. Dowling to make a fortune out of this." They walked on in silence a little further. Then she spoke again, with some hesitation. "I suppose that what you have done is quite fair, Leonard'.'" Ho answered her promptly, without any sign of offence at her question. "As a matter of fact," bo confessed, "it is an unusual thins,' for anyone in the employ of a firm of estate agents to make speculations on their own account in land. In this ease, however, I consider that 1 was justified. 1 have opened up three building speculations for the firm, on each one of which the}' have made a. great deal of money, and 1 have not even had my salary increased, or any recognition whatever offered me. There, is a debt, of course, which an employee owes to his employer. There is also a debt, however, which the employer owes to his employee. In my cast* I have never been treated with theslightest consideration of any sort. What I have done I shall stick to. After all, I am more interested in making money for myself than for other people." They had readied the corner of the field now, and, turning into the lane, commenced the stcej) descent.. It was Sunday.

evening, and from all the little conventicles and tin churches below the bells began their unmusical summons. From further away in the distance came the more melodious chiming from the cathedral and the city churches. The shriller and nearer note, however, prevailed. 'The whole medley of sound was a discord. As they descended they could fen the black-coated throngs slowly moving towards the different places of worship. There was something uninspiring about it all. She shuddered. •' Leonard," she said, " I wonder why you are so anxious to get on in the world'.' Why do you want to be rich? " Ho was glancing back toward the hill, the light of calculations in Ids eves. Once more lie was measuring out i hose plots of land, calculating rent, deducting interest. "Wo all seek different things." lie replied, tolerantly, "some fame, some pleasure. Mr. Howling, for instance, has no, other ambition than to muddle wind the golf links a few strokes better than his partner." " And you? " she asked.

"It is' success I seek," he answered. •"Women, as a ride, do not understand. You, for instance, Beatrice, are too sentimental. I am very practical. If is money that I want. J want money because money means success.'' •' And afterwards? " she whispered. tie was attending to her no longer. They were turning now into the broad Uiorougtifaro at the bottom of the lane, at the end of which a tramcar was waiting. He scribbled a few final notes into hie pocket-book. '•To-morrow."' he exclaimed, with the joy of kittle in bis tone, "to-morrow the fight begins in earnest!" Beatrice passed her hand through hie arm.

"Not only for you. dear friend, but for me," she said. "For you'.' What do you mean':" he asked quickly. "1 have been trying to tell you .ill day," she continued, '• but you have teen too engrossed. Yesterday afternoon 1 went to see Mr. Grier at the Atlas Theatre. 1 had my voice tried, and morrow night lam going to take a small part in the new musical comedy." Tavernake stared at her in something like consternation. His ideas as to the stage, and all that belonged to it, were of a primitive order. -Mrs. Fitzgerald was perhaps as near as possible to his idea of the type. .He glanced incredulously at Beatrice—slim, quietly dressed, yet with the unmistakable, to him mysterious, distinction of breeding. "You an actress! " he exclaimed. She laughed softly. "Dear Leonard," she said, "this is going to be a part of your education. To-morrow night you shall* come to the theatre and wait for me at the stage-door." (To he continued daily.)