That's a foregone conclusion. It would be vastly better for him to make his peace with them now, to abandon his heresies along with his poor, and save himself from ecclesiastical annihilation. But," and she looked beyond Barry into some sunlit, splendid distance, "if he does hold out, if he does defy them, if he does go down fighting, he'll be a hero, like—like his own Jesus Christ."
The flame was in her cheeks, her eyes were burning, her muscles were tense with the stress of her emotion. Suddenly she changed the subject. She was again calm. Her voice took on its accustomed, musical, well-modulated tones.
"There's another thing," she said, "about which I wanted to speak to you."
Barry started, as if from sleep. Apparently she could cast a spell on him, and waken him from it at her will.
"Eh?" he replied; "how was that?"
"There's another thing," she repeated, "about which I wanted to speak to you."
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's about your men. I hear they are dissatisfied with the present wage scale, and are going to demand concessions when the agreement expires in January."
"Why, I've heard something of the kind. But there's no occasion for it. Really there isn't. The men have a very liberal agreement. I signed it myself as vice-president of the company last January."
"Nevertheless the men are dissatisfied with it. They're going to demand a change. The question is what are your people going to do for them?"
"Why, the matter hasn't come up. We haven't considered it."
"Pardon me, but I think it's time you did. Do not misunderstand me. I'm not a member of the Union, and I don't represent the men in any way. But I'm interested in them. I feel that they're deserving of better wages than they're getting, and better condi-
