"Now," declared Nairn, "we can talk comfortably. Clara will listen.
Afterwards, it's possible she will favor me with her opinion."
Mrs. Nairn smiled at them encouragingly, and her husband proceeded.
"One or two of my colleagues were no pleased at ye for putting off the meeting."
"The sloop was small, and it was blowing rather hard," Vane explained.
"Maybe. For all that, the tone of your message was no altogether what one would call conciliatory. It informed us that ye would arrange for the postponed meeting at your earliest convenience. Ye did not mention ours."
"I pointed that out to him, and he said it didn't matter," Carroll interrupted with a laugh.
Nairn spread out his hands in expostulation, but there was dry appreciation in his eyes.
"Young blood must have its way." He paused and looked thoughtful. "Ye will no have said anything definite to Horsfield yet about the smelter?"
"No. So far, I'm not sure that it would pay us to put up the plant; and the other man's terms are lower."
"Maybe," Nairn answered, and he made the single word very expressive. "Ye have had the handling of the thing; but henceforward it will be necessary to get the sanction of the board. However, ye will meet Horsfield to-night. We expect him and his sister."