The Spinners

eyes were wheels, and beneath, the mass of the carder opened its mouth-a thin and hungry slit into which wound an endless band. Spread upon this leathern roller was the hemp tow-

er elated, nor cast down, and presented to younger women a spectacle of skill, resolution and good sense. The great woman ennobled her work; through the dust and din, with placid and amiable features, she peered, and ceased not hour

housands of pins, that separated strand from strand and shook the stuff to its integral fibres before building it up again. Despite the thunder and the suggestion of immense forces exerted upon the frail material, utmost delicacy marked the operations of the card. Any real strain

ow handkerchief, Sally Groves pursued her task. Then came to her Sabina Dinn

n your machine stopped a minute. You won't b

Sally? Who ever w

anybody's to speak to you," explained Sally; "but she'

ve you s

f Raymond Ironsyde wasting a deuce of a lot of his tim

changed

earn the business-the practical side, Sally. And he wa

roves

hink he was very long at the drawing heads neither; and I ain't heard Sarah Northover say he spent much of hi

is the hardest to

he had a memory as big as his promises, he'd soon ruin himself. But, like a lot of other nice chaps full of generous ideas, he forgets 'em when the accident that woke 'em is out of his mind. And all I say, Sabina, is to be careful. He

g middle-age common to youth, but she was

w I'm not the sort to be a fool. I can't help him coming; and I can't be rude to the

inning, some subconscious instincts worked at another matter and she found that

rdour and enthusiasm until now reserved for sport, Sabina, who had otherwise been much more cautious, was not only in love, but actually felt that shadowy ambitions from the past began to promise realisation. She was not vain, but she knew herself a finer thing in mind and body than most of the girls with whom she worked. She had read a great deal and learned much from Mr. Churchouse, who delighted to teach her, and from Mr. Best, with whom she was a prime favourite. She had refused several offers of marriage and preserved a steady determination not t

a living caused Raymond both uneasiness and indignation. To Sabina, it seemed that he was a chivalric knight of romance-a being from a fairy story. She had heard of such men, but never met with one outside a novel. She glorified Raymond into something altogether sublime-as soon as she found that he liked her. He filled her head, and while her common-sense vainly tried to talk as Sally Groves had talked, each meeting with the young man threw her back upon the tremendous fact that he was deeply inte

lt. For she had to be receptive only, and that was easy: the vital matter rested with him. She did not do anything to encourage him, or take any step that her friends could call "forward." She just left it to him and knew not how far he mean

ple who knew them. She felt the happier for that. Nor could Sally Groves and her warning cast her down for long. The hint that Raymond was a gentleman and Sabina a spinner touched a point in their friendship long past. The girl knew that well enough; but she also knew what Sall

e. The emotions awakened by Sabina were real, and he fully believed that she was going to be essential to his life's happiness and completion. He knew nothing about women, for his athletic pursuits and ambitions to excel physically produced an indifference to them. But with the change in hi

d. He was only concerned to make Sabina 'a chum,' as he said, to himself. He knew this to be nonsense,

st wind had brought its garment of grey-blue haze and the extremity of the Bank, with Portland Bill beyond, was hidden. The cliffs gave presently and green slopes sank to the beaches. They reached a place

d listener; but Raymond spoke fitfully, too, at fir

been for a walk with a girl

ast enough for

n; you're a ver

ned his trials and tribulations in the present. He represented that he was mewed up like an eagle. He described how the tragic call to work for a living had sounded in his ear when he anticipated no

ull for you, I'm

it was for an open-air man like me to be dropped into this. People think it is the most unnatural thing on earth that I should suddenly begin to work. But it's just as unnatural really as if my brother suddenly beg

f course, that you were rat

saw I was wrong. It increased my respect for women in a way. To find, for instance, that you could do what you do single-handed and make ligh

in if I got the chance," she said, a

re a lot too clever for spinning, really. You'd shine anywhere. Let's sit here under this thorn bus

a personal remark after Sabina had ta

, noting what seemed to be an i

spinner's hands are like that. Alice Chick has chi

able. He could not bear to think of a woman

mething to prevent you b

a lau

ave their mark," she answered, "and a woman's l

he ventured to ask, "if

go red, and then blue. And there's always grumbling about the temperature, because what suits hemp and flax don't suit humans. If some clever man could solve these difficulties, it w

ond of th

. "Thanks to Mr. Churchouse, I know

d think

and kind and l

I nearly went to live

Sorry I d

not pretend to mi

f chap that just drifts and is contented to let things be

dn't

of thing. But when I've once mastered the business, you'll see. I didn't want to come in, but now

" said

rs, and whatever I am, I'm clever enough to know that if we don't do a good many things for the workers pretty soon, they'll do those things for themselves. But it will be a great deal more proper and breed a lot more goodwill between labour and capital, if capital takes the first step

ention, though he was conscious of it as he spoke it; but he had no idea that it had greatly startled her and awoke mingled feelings of delight and doubt. She was delighted, because it meant her name must have been often in his thoughts, she was doubtful, because its argued perhaps a

ause Raym

f," he said. "I'm sure you

nothing

happen to b

went into it as a

se would have seen you're a genius,

s about me. I'm lik

other girl like

nybody with yo

mpliment in my l

sultory, and presently Sabin

ill be wo

t he showed no emotion and took off his hat to Sarah Northover and Nicholas Roberts, the lathe work

assed. "That's a branch of the work I haven't looked at yet. Ro

hey're going to be marrie

cores of cottages that want pulling down here. I shall po

nges and improvemen

Raymond

dn't do

to. By the way, may

f you c

'The Magnolias,' and Raymond thank

orward to the next time. It's very sporting of you to come and

less without her. He counted the hours to when he would see her again. She went

yet, having regard for Sabina, this meant marriage or nothing. He felt ill at ease, for love had not yet taken the bit and run away with him. Other interests cried out to him-interests that he would have to give

spinning works are go

ggested Waldron. "If you'd come out in the mornings and ride for

ed Raymond. "I w

d Sabina o

ich instead of being a

Waldron. "Then, after he knows you're not frightened of work, but, of course, can't excel at work that isn't congenial, he'll put money into y

that his friend should become his bailiff and study agriculture did not serve to win from the sufferer more than thanks. The