He had expected to find limestone, but he could hardly believe his own eyes: it was cement stone! Absolutely, undoubtedly, cement stone! How far did it extend? As far as he could see; it might even extend to the boundary of the estate. In any case, here was sufficient for extensive works for many, many years, if only there were enough silica with the clay and lime. He had soon knocked off a few pieces, which he put into the boat, and set out for home to analyse them.

  Seldom had any one rowed faster than he did; now he shot past the islands into the bay, up to the landing-place before the house. If the cement stone contained the right proportions, here was what would make Helene and himself independent of every one; AND THAT AT ONCE!

  A little later, with dirty hands and clothes, his face bathed in perspiration, he rushed up to his mother with the result of his investigations.

  "Here is something for you to see."

  She was reading; she looked up and turned as white as a sheet.

  "Is that the cement stone?" she asked, as she put down her book.

  "Did you know about it?" he exclaimed, in the greatest astonishment.

  "Good gracious, yes," she answered. She walked across to the window, came back again, pressing her hands together. "So you have found it too?"

  "Who did before me?"

  "Your father, Rafael, your father, the first time that I was here, a little time before we were to leave." She paused. "He came rushing in as you did just now - not so quickly, not so quickly, he was weak in the legs, but otherwise just like you." She let her eyes rest, with a peculiar look, on Rafael's dirty hands. The hands themselves were not well shaped, they were almost exactly his father's.

  Rafael noticed nothing.

  "Had HE found the bed of cement stone, then?"

  "Yes. He locked the door behind him. I got up from my chair and asked him how he dared? He could hardly speak." She paused for a moment, recalling it all again. "Yes, and it was THAT stuff."

  "What did he say, mother?"

  She had turned to leave the room.

  "Your father believed that I had brought luck to the house."

  "And why was it not so, then?"

  She faced him quickly. He coloured.

  "Pardon, mother, you misunderstood me. I meant, why did it come to nothing about the cement?"

  "You did not know your father: there were too many hooks about him for him to be able to carry out anything."

  "Hooks?"

  "Yes! eccentricity, egotism, passion, which caught fast in everything."

  "What did he propose to do?"

  "No one was to be allowed to have anything to do with it, no one was to know of it, he was to be everything! For this reason the timber was to be cut down and sold; and when we were married - I say when we were married, the whole of my fortune was to be used as well."

  He saw the horror with which she still regarded it; she was passing through the whole struggle again; and he understood that he must not question her further. She made a gesture with her hand; and he asked hurriedly, "Why did you not tell me before, mother?"

  "Because it would have brought you no good," she answered decidedly.

  He felt, nay, he saw that she believed that it would bring him no good now. She again raised her hand, and he left her.

  When he was once more in the boat, taking his great news to the parsonage, he thought to himself, Here is the reason of my father's and mother's deadly enmity.

  The cement stone! She did not trust him, she would not give him both herself and her fortune, so there was no cement, nor were any trees felled.

  "Well, he scored after all. Yes, and mother too; but God help ME!"

  Then he reckoned up what the timber and the fortune together would have been worth, and what further sum could have been raised on the property, the value of the cement-bed being taken into consideration. He understood his father better than his mother. What a fortune, what power, what magnificence, what a life!

  At the parsonage he carried every one with him.

  The Dean, because he saw at once what this was worth. "You are a rich man now," he said. The Dean's wife, because she felt attracted by his ability and enthusiasm. Helene? Helene was silent and frightened. He turned towards her and asked if she would come with him in the boat to see it. She really must see how extensive the bed was.

  "Yes, dear, go with him," said her father.

  Rafael wished to sit behind her in the boat and hastened towards the bow; but, without a word, she passed him, sat down, and took her oars; so, after all, he had to sit in front of her.

  They thus began at cross purposes. His back was towards her, he saw how the water foamed under her oars, there was a secret struggle, a tacit fear, which was heard in the few words which they exchanged, and which merely increased their constraint.

  When they drew near to their destination they were flushed and hot. Now he was obliged to turn round to look for the place of landing. To begin with, they went slowly along the whole cement-bed as far as it was visible. He was now turned so as to face her, and he explained it all to her. She kept her eyes fixed on the cliff, and only glanced at him, or did not look at him all. They turned the boat again, in order to land at the place where he intended the factory to stand. A portion of the rock would have to be blasted to make room, the harbour too must be made safer so that vessels might lie close in, and all this would cost money.

  He landed first in order to help her, but she jumped on shore without his assistance; then they climbed upwards, he leading the way, explaining everything as he went; she following with eyes and ears intent.

  All for which, from her childhood, she had worked so hard at Hellebergene, and all which she had dreamed of for the estate, had become so little now. It would be many years before the trees yielded any return. But here was promise of immediate prosperity and future wealth if, as she never doubted, he proved to be correct.