the dwelling place of ligh-第22章

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believed　herself　to　hate　Mr。　Ditmar；　when　she　treated　him　with　an　aloofness；　an
impersonality　unsurpassed；　moments　when　he　paused　in　his　dictation　to　stare　at
her　in　astonishment。　　He；　who　flattered　himself　that　he　understood　women！

She　would　show　him！such　was　her　dominating　determination。　　Her　promotion
assumed　the　guise　of　a　challenge；　of　a　gauntlet　flung　down　at　the　feet　of　her
sex。　　In　a　certain　way；　an　insult；　though　incredibly　stimulating。　　If　he
flattered　himself　that　he　had　done　her　a　favour；　if　he　entertained　the　notion
that　he　could　presently　take　advantage　of　the　contact　with　her　now　achieved　to
make　unbusinesslike　advanceswell；　he　would　find　out。　　He　had　proclaimed　his
desire　for　an　able　assistant　in　Miss　Ottway's　placehe　would　get　one；　and
nothing　more。　　She　watched　narrowly；　a　l'affut；　as　the　French　say；　for　any
signs　of　sentiment；　and　indeed　this　awareness　of　her　being　on　guard　may　have
had　some　influence　on　Mr。　Ditmar's　own　attitude；　likewise　irreproachable。。。。　　A
rather　anaemic　young　woman；　a　Miss　Annie　James；　was　hired　for　Janet's　old
place。

In　spite　of　this　aloofness　and　alertness；　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　Janet
felt　the　exuberance　of　being　in　touch　with　affairs　of　import。　　Hitherto　the
mill　had　been　merely　a　greedy　monster　claiming　her　freedom　and　draining　her
energies　in　tasks　routine；　such　as　the　copying　of　meaningless　documents　and
rows　of　figures；　now；　supplied　with　stimulus　and　a　motive；　the　Corporation
began　to　take　on　significance；　and　she　flung　herself　into　the　work　with　an
ardour　hitherto　unknown；　determined　to　make　herself　so　valuable　to　Ditmar　that
the　time　would　come　when　he　could　not　do　without　her。　　She　strove　to　memorize
certain　names　and　addresses；　lest　time　be　lost　in　looking　them　up；　to
familiarize　herself　with　the　ordinary　run　of　his　correspondence；　to　recall　what
letters　were　to　be　marked　〃personal；〃　to　anticipate　matters　of　routine；　in
order　that　he　might　not　have　the　tedium　of　repeating　instructions；　she　acquired
the　faculty　of　keeping　his　engagements　in　her　head；　she　came　early　to　the
office；　remaining　after　hours；　going　through　the　files；　becoming　familiar　with
his　system；　and　she　learned　to　sort　out　his　correspondence；　sifting　the
important　from　the　unimportant；　to　protect　him；　more　and　more；　from　numerous
visitors　who　called　only　to　waste　his　time。　　Her　instinct　for　the　detection　of
book…agents；　no　matter　how　brisk　and　businesslike　they　might　appear；　was
unerringshe　remembered　faces　and　the　names　belonging　to　them：　an　individual
once　observed　to　be　persona　non　grata　never　succeeded　in　passing　her　twice。　　On
one　occasion　Ditmar　came　out　of　his　office　to　see　the　back　of　one　of　these
visitors　disappearing　into　the　corridor。

〃Who　was　that？〃　he　asked。

〃His　name　is　McCalla；〃　she　said。　　〃I　thought　you　didn't　want　to　be　bothered。〃

〃But　how　in　thunder　did　you　get　rid　of　him？〃　he　demanded。

〃Oh；　I　just　wouldn't　let　him　in；〃　she　replied　demurely。

And　Ditmar　went　away；　wondering。。。。　　Thus　she　gtudied　him；　without　permitting
him　to　suspect　it；　learning　his　idiosyncrasies；　his　attitude　toward　all　those
with　whom　daily　he　came　in　contact；　only　to　find　herself　approving。　　She　was
forced　to　admit　that　he　was　a　judge　of　men；　compelled　to　admire　his　adroitness
in　dealing　with　them。　　He　could　be　democratic　or　autocratic　as　occasion
demanded；　he　knew　when　to　yield；　and　when　to　remain　inflexible。　　One　morning；
for　instance；　there　arrived　from　New　York　a　dapper　salesman　whose　jauntily　tied
bow；　whose　thin　haircarefully　parted　to　conceal　an　incipient　baldnesswhose
wary　and　slightly　weary　eyes　all　impressively　suggested　the　metropolitan
atmosphere　of　high　pressure　and　sophistication　from　which　he　had　emerged。　　He
had　a　machine　to　sell；　an　amazing　machine；　endowed　with　human　intelligence　and
more　than　human　infallibility；　for　when　it　made　a　mistake　it　stopped。　　It　was
designed　for　the　express　purpose　of　eliminating　from　the　payroll　the　skilled
and　sharp…eyed　women　who　are　known　as　〃drawers…in；〃　who　sit　all　day　long　under
a　north　light　patiently　threading　the　ends　of　the　warp　through　the　heddles　of
the　loom　harness。　　Janet's　imagination　was　gradually　fired　as　she　listened　to
the　visitor's　eloquence；　and　the　textile　industry；　which　hitherto　had　seemed　to
her　uninteresting　and　sordid；　took　on　the　colours　of　romance。

〃Now　I've　made　up　my　mind　we'll　place　one　with　you；　Mr。　Ditmar；〃　the　salesman
concluded。　　〃I　don't　object　to　telling　you　we'd　rather　have　one　in　the
Chippering　than　in　any　mill　in　New　England。〃

Janet　was　surprised；　almost　shocked　to　see　Ditmar　shake　his　head；　yet　she　felt
a　certain　reluctant　admiration　because　he　had　not　been　swayed　by　blandishments。
At　such　moments；　when　he　was　bent　on　refusing　a　request；　he　seemed　physically
to　acquire　massiveness；and　he　had　a　dogged　way　of　chewing　his　cigar。

〃I　don't　want　it；　yet；〃　he　replied；　〃not　until　you　improve　it。〃　　And　she　was
impressed　by　the　fact　that　he　seemed　to　know　as　much　about　the　machine　as　the
salesman　himself。　　In　spite　of　protests；　denials；　appeals；　he　remained　firm。
〃When　you　get　rid　of　the　defects　I've　mentioned　come　back；　Mr。　Hicksbut　don't
come　back　until　then。〃

And　Mr。　Hicks　departed；　discomfited。。。。

Ditmar　knew　what　he　wanted。　　Of　the　mill　he　was　the　absolute　master；　familiar
with　every　process；　carrying　constantly　in　his　mind　how　many　spindles；　how　many
looms　were　at　work；　and　if　anything　untoward　happened；　becoming　aware　of　it　by
what　seemed　to　Janet　a　subconscious　process；　sending　for　the　superintendent　of
the　department：　for　Mr。　Orcutt；　perhaps；　whose　office　was　across　the　halla
tall；　lean；　spectacled　man　of　fifty　who　looked　like　a　schoolmaster。

〃Orcutt；　what's　the　matter　with　the　opener　in　Cooney's　room？〃

〃Why；　the　blower's　out　of　order。〃

〃Well；　whose　fault　is　it？〃。。。。

He　knew　every　watchman　and　foreman　in　the　mill；　and　many　of　the　second　hands。
The　old　workers；　men　and　women　who　had　been　in　the　Chippering　employ　through
good　and　bad　times　for　years；　had　a　place　in　his　affections；　but　toward　the
labour　force　in　general　his　attitude　was　impersonal。　　The　mill　had　to　be　run；
and　people　to　be　got　to　run　it。　　With　him；　first　and　last　and　always　it　was　the
mill；　and　little　by　little　what　had　been　for　Janet　a　heterogeneous　mass　of
machinery　and　human　beings　became　unified　and　personified　in　Claude　Ditmar。　　It
was　odd　how　the　essence　and　quality　of　that　great　building　had　changed　for　her；
how　the　very　roaring　of　the　looms；　as　she　drew　near　the　canal　in　the　mornings；
had　ceased　to　be　sinister　and　depressing；　but　bore　now　a　burden　like　a　great
battle　song　to　excite　and　inspire；　to　remind　her　that　she　had　been　snatched　as
by　a　miracle　from　the　commonplace。　　And　all　this　was　a　function　of　Ditmar。

Life　had　become　portentous。　　And　she　was　troubled　by　no　qualms　of　logic；　but
gloried；　womanlike；　in　her　lack　of　it。　　She　did　not　ask　herself　why　she　had
deliberately　enlarged　upon　Miss　Ottway's　duties；　invaded　debatable　ground　in
part　inevitably　personal；　flung　herself　with　such　abandon　into　the　enterprise
of　his　life's　passion；　at　the　same　time　maintaining　a　deceptive　attitude　of
detachment；　half　deceiving　herself　that　it　was　zeal　for　the　work　by　which　she
was　actuated。　　In　her　soul　she　knew　better。　　She　was　really　pouring　fuel　on　the
flames。　　She　read　him；　up　to　a　certain　pointas　far　as　was　necessary；　and
beneath　his　attempts　at　self…control　she　was　conscious　of　a　dynamic　desire　that
betrayed　itself　in　many　acts　and　signs；as　when　he　brushed　against　her；　and
occasionally　when　he　gave　evidence　with　his　subordinates　of　a　certain　shortness
of　temper　unusual　with　him　she　experienced　a　vaguely　alarming　but　delicious
thrill　of　power。　　And　this；　of　all　men；　was　the　great　Mr。　Ditmar！　　Was　she　in
love　with　him？　　That　question　did　not　trouble　her　either。　　She　continued　to
experience　in　his　presence　waves　of　antagonism　and　attraction；　revealing　to　her
depths　and　possibilities　of　her　nature　that　frightened　while　they　fascinated。
It　never　occurred　to　her　to　desist。　　That　craving　in　her　for　high　adventure　was
not　to　be　denied。

On　summer　evenings　it　had　been　Ditmar's　habit　when　in　Hampton　to　stroll　about
his　lawn；　from　time