“On the contrary,” she said bravely, fighting his fatalism, “I have fully made up my mind to hunt down the Chief in the next two hours--wherever he is to be found. Only he can stop the _Planet_ and the U. P.” “He may decline to do so--even if you run him to earth.” “But why in the world should you think that?” Her voice was full of challenge. “An honest man is bound--is simply bound--to stop them.” “I agree,” said Endor, abstractedly. “I humbly beg the pardon of the Colossus.” “Please beg mine--for thinking--thinking--thinking!” He kissed her hand. “I’m hardly myself to-night,” he said. “You’ve had a really tiresome day,” she said, gently; “what with a journey to Blackhampton and back again--not to mention the luncheon, the presentation, and now this horrid affair! You look quite worn out.” Recognizing that he must pull himself together, he proceeded rather heroically to do so. He was upheld, moreover, by Helen’s strength of purpose, the working of her active will, of her high and keen intelligence. And yet, at the back of everything, he felt that all they did would be futile. This was only a beginning, the first turn of the wheel. Now that a cog had caught him, the devil’s work would go on until his life had been crushed out. But she could not be expected to know that. And in this early phase he ought not to make any such admission, even to himself. It was weak. No matter what happened he must go down fighting. “What’s on to-night at the opera?” said Helen. Under her chair lay the discarded _Evening Press_. She picked it up. “The Russian ballet. He is quite likely to be there. If he is, he may not be home before midnight.” For a moment she considered the question in its various aspects. And then she said, “I’d better go there and see if I can find him.” Endor shook his head. “Looking,” he said, “for a pin in a truss of hay to search for people at the opera.” “He has a box. More than once he’s lent it to me. If he’s there, I’ll find him.” A growing sense of the futility of all they could do was now overpowering Endor. But he was forced to admire the noble zeal which was determined not to leave one thing undone. Knowing argument to be vain, he was content merely to insist upon the finishing of the meal before she did anything else. But it was only under protest that she could be brought to do even that. If Mr. Hartz was not at the opera, the sooner they learned that fact the better. VI