"The man of the moment, Miss Maturin, is a large and reckless capitalist. I am that capitalist." He released his hold of the lever, and sat upright. The sternness of his face relaxed. "Now, Miss Maturin, turn on the power; take me where you like; dump me into any of those lakes you choose; the water is crystal clear, and I'm a good swimmer," and with this Stranleigh indulged in a hearty laugh, his own genial self once more. "You are laughing at me," she said resentfully. "Indeed I am not. Another contradiction, you see! I am laughing at myself. There's nothing I loathe so much as strenuousness, and here I have fallen into the vice. It is the influence of that brawling river below us, I think. But the river becomes still enough, and useful enough, when it reaches the great lake at Powerville, which is big enough to swallow all these little ponds." The girl made no motion towards the lever, but sat very still, lost in thought. When she spoke, her voice was exceedingly quiet. "You complimented Nature a while ago, intending, as I suppose, to compliment me, but I think after all the greater compliment is your straight talk, which I admire, although I received it so petulantly. I shall make no apology, beyond saying that my mind is very much perturbed. Your surmise is absolutely correct. It isn't that I've spent the whole of my fortune and my friend's fortune in this conservation scheme. It is because I have built a model city on the heights above Powerville. I was promised assistance from the banks, which is now withheld, largely, I suspect, through the opposition of John L. Boscombe, a reputed millionaire. To all intents and purposes Boscombe and I are the owners of Powerville and the mills there, but although this place was founded and built up by my father, I am a minority stock-holder, and powerless. Boscombe exercises control. Any suggestions or protests of mine are ignored, for Boscombe, like my father, has little faith--no faith at all, in fact--in the business capacity of a woman. "I have tried, as I hinted, to enlist the co-operation of other capitalists, but experience has taught me that any appeal is futile that does not impinge directly upon cupidity. If there is the least hint of philanthropy in the project, every man of money fights shy of it." "I am an exception," said Stranleigh, eagerly. "Philanthropy used to be a strong point with me, though I confess I was never very successful in its exercise. What humanitarian scheme is in your mind, Miss Maturin?" Again she sat silent for some moments, indecision and doubt on her fair brow. Presently she said, as if pulling herself together-- "I will not tell you, Lord Stranleigh. You yourself have just admitted disbelief, and my plan is so fantastic that I dare not submit it to criticism." "I suppose your new city is in opposition to the old town down in the valley? You alone are going to compete with Boscombe and yourself." "That is one way of putting it."