the dwelling place of ligh-第29章

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〃The　Colonel　hypnotized　that　reporter；〃　he　said；　as　he　took　the　paper；　and　her
laugh；　despite　its　little　tremor；　betrayed　in　her　an　unsuspected；　humorous
sense　of　proportion。　　〃Well；　I'll　take　off　my　hat　to　him；〃　Caldwell　went　on。
〃He　is　a　wonder；　he's　got　the　mill　right　up　to　capacity　in　a　week。　　He's　agreed
to　deliver　those　goods　to　the　Bradlaughs　by　the　first　of　April；　you　know；　and
Holster；　of　the　Clarendon；　swears　it　can't　be　done；　he　says　Ditmar's　crazy。
Well；　I　stand　to　lose　twenty…five　dollars　on　him。〃

This　loyalty　pleased　Janet；　it　had　the　strange　effect　of　reviving　loyalty　in
her。　　She　liked　this　evidence　of　Dick　Caldwell's　confidence。　　He　was　a　self…
contained　and　industrious　young　man；　with　crisp　curly　hair；　cordial　and
friendly　yet　never　intimate　with　the　other　employer；　liked　by　thembut　it　was
tacitly　understood　his　footing　differed　from　theirs。　　He　was　a　cousin　of　the
Chipperings；　and　destined　for　rapid　promotion。　　He　went　away　every　Saturday；　it
was　known　that　he　spent　Sundays　and　holidays　in　delightful　places；　to　return
reddened　and　tanned；　and　though　he　never　spoke　about　these　excursions；　and　put
on　no　airs　of　superiority；　there　was　that　in　his　manner　and　even　in　the　cut　of
his　well…worn　suits　proclaiming　him　as　belonging　to　a　sphere　not　theirs；　to　a
category　of　fortunate　beings　whose　stumbles　are　not　fatal；　who　are　sustained
from　above。　　Even　Ditmar　was　not　of　these。

〃I've　just　been　showing　a　lot　of　highbrows　through　the　mill；〃　he　told　Janet。
〃They　asked　questions　enough　to　swamp　a　professor　of　economics。〃

And　Janet　was　suddenly　impelled　to　ask：

〃Will　you　take　me　through　sometime；　Mr。　Caldwell？〃

〃You've　never　been　through？〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Why；　we'll　go　now；　if　you　can
spare　the　time。〃

Her　face　had　become　scarlet。

〃Don't　tell　Mr。　Ditmar；〃　she　begged。　　〃You　seehe　wanted　to　take　me　himself。〃

〃Not　a　word；〃　Caldwell　promised　as　they　left　the　office　together　and　went
downstairs　to　the　strong　iron　doors　that　led　to　the　Cotton　Department。　　The
showing　through　of　occasional　visitors　had　grown　rather　tiresome；　but　now　his
curiosity　and　interest　were　aroused；　he　was　conscious　of　a　keen　stimulation
when　he　glanced　at　Janet's　face。　　Its　illumination　perplexed　him。　　The　effect
was　that　of　a　picture　obscurely　hung　and　hitherto　scarcely　noticed　on　which　the
light　had　suddenly　been　turned。　　It　glowed　with　a　strange　and　disturbing
radiance。。。。

As　for　Janet；　she　was　as　one　brought　suddenly　to　the　realization　of　a　miracle
in　whose　presence　she　had　lived　for　many　years　and　never　before　suspected；　the
miracle　of　machinery；　of　the　triumph　of　man　over　nature。　　In　the　brief　space　of
an　hour　she　beheld　the　dirty　bales　flung　off　the　freight　cars　on　the　sidings
transformed　into　delicate　fabrics　wound　from　the　looms；　cotton　that　only　last
summer；　perhaps；　while　she　sat　typewriting　at　her　window；　had　been　growing　in
the　fields　of　the　South。　　She　had　seen　it　torn　by　the　balebreakers；　blown　into
the　openers；　loosened；　cleansed；　and　dried；　taken　up　by　the　lappers；　pressed
into　batting；　and　passed　on　to　the　carding　machines；　to　emerge　like　a　wisp　of
white　smoke　in　a　sliver　and　coil　automatically　in　a　can。　　Once　more　it　was
flattened　into　a　lap；　given　to　a　comber　that　felt　out　its　fibres；　removing　with
superhuman　precision　those　for　the　finer　fabric　too　short；　thrusting　it　forth
again　in　another　filmy　sliver　ready　for　the　drawing　frames。　　Six　of　these
gossamer　ropes　were　taken　up；　and　again　six。　　Then　came　the　Blubbers　and　the
roving　frames；　twisting　and　winding；　the　while　maintaining　the　most　delicate　of
tensions　lest　the　rope　break；　running　the　strands　together　into　a　thread
constantly　growing　stronger　and　finer；　until　it　was　ready　for　spinning。

Caldwell　stood　close　to　her；　shouting　his　explanations　in　her　ear；　while　she
strained　to　follow　them。　　But　she　was　bewildered　and　entranced　by　the
marvellous　swiftness；　accuracy　and　ease　with　which　each　of　the　complex
machines；　fed　by　human　hands；　performed　its　function。　　These　human　hands　were
swift；　too；　as　when　they　thrust　the　bobbins　of　roving　on　the　ringspinning
frames　to　be　twisted　into　yarn。　　She　saw　a　woman；　in　the　space　of　an　instant；
mend　a　broken　thread。　　Women　and　boys　were　here；　doffer　boys　to　lift　off　the
full　bobbins　of　yarn　with　one　hand　and　set　on　the　empty　bobbins　with　the　other：
while　skilled　workmen；　alert　for　the　first　sign　of　trouble；　followed　up　and
down　in　its　travels　the　long　frame　of　the　mule…spinner。　　After　the　spinning；
the　heavy　spools　of　yarn　were　carried　to　a　beam…warper；　standing　alone　like　a
huge　spider's　web；　where　hundreds　of　threads　were　stretched　symmetrically　and
wound　evenly；　side　by　side；　on　a　large　cylinder；　forming　the　warp　of　the　fabric
to　be　woven　on　the　loom。　　First；　however；　this　warp　must　be　stiffened　or
〃slashed〃　in　starch　and　tallow；　dried　over　heated　drums；　and　finally　wound
around　one　great　beam　from　which　the　multitude　of　threads　are　taken　up；　one　by
one；　and　slipped　through　the　eyes　of　the　loom　harnesses　by　women　who　sit　all
day　under　the　north　windows　overlooking　the　canalthe　〃drawers…in〃　of　whom
Ditmar　had　spoken。　　Then　the　harnesses　are　put　on　the　loom；　the　threads
attached　to　the　cylinder　on　which　the　cloth　is　to　be　wound。　　The　looms　absorbed
and　fascinated　Janet　above　all　else。　　It　seemed　as　if　she　would　never　tire　of
watching　the　rhythmic　rise　and　fall　of　the　harnesses；each　rapid　movement
making　a　V　in　the　warp；　within　the　angle　of　which　the　tiny　shuttles　darted　to
and　fro；　to　and　fro；　carrying　the　thread　that　filled　the　cloth　with　a　swiftness
so　great　the　eye　could　scarcely　follow　it；　to　be　caught　on　the　other　side　when
the　angle　closed；　and　flung　back；　and　back　again！　　And　in　the　elaborate
patterns　not　one；　but　several　harnesses　were　used；　each　awaiting　its　turn　for
the　impulse　bidding　it　rise　and　fall！。。。　　Abruptly；　as　she　gazed；　one　of　the
machines　halted；　a　weaver　hurried　up；　searched　the　warp　for　the　broken　thread；
tied　it；　and　started　the　loom　again。

〃That's　intelligent　of　it；〃　said　Caldwell；　in　her　ear。　　But　she　could　only　nod
in　reply。

The　noise　in　the　weaving　rooms　was　deafening；　the　heat　oppressive。　　She　began
to　wonder　how　these　men　and　women；　boys　and　girls　bore　the　strain　all　day　long。
She　had　never　thought　much　about　them　before　save　to　compare　vaguely　their
drudgery　with　that　from　which　now　she　had　been　emancipated；　but　she　began　to
feel　a　new　respect；　a　new　concern；　a　new　curiosity　and　interest　as　she　watched
them　passing　from　place　to　place　with　indifference　between　the　whirling　belts；
up　and　down　the　narrow　aisles；　flanked　on　either　side　by　that　bewildering；
clattering　machinery　whose　polished　surfaces　continually　caught　and　flung　back
the　light　of　the　electric　bulbs　on　the　ceiling。　　How　was　it　possible　to　live
for　hours　at　a　time　in　this　bedlam　without　losing　presence　of　mind　and
thrusting　hand　or　body　in　the　wrong　place；　or　becoming　deaf？　　She　had　never
before　realized　what　mill　work　meant；　though　she　had　read　of　the　accidents。
But　these　peopleeven　the　childrenseemed　oblivious　to　the　din　and　the
danger；　intent　on　their　tasks；　unconscious　of　the　presence　of　a　visitor；　save
occasionally　when　she　caught　a　swift　glance　from　a　woman　or　girl　a　glance；
perhaps；　of　envy　or　even　of　hostility。　　The　dark；　foreign　faces　glowed；　and
instantly　grew　dull　again；　and　then　she　was　aware　of　lurking　terrors；　despite
her　exaltation；　her　sense　now　of　belonging　to　another　world；　a　world　somehow
associated　with　Ditmar。　　Was　it　not　he　who　had　lifted　her　farther　above　all
this？　　Was　it　not　by　grace　of　her　association　with　him　she　was　there；　a
spectator　of　the　toil　beneath？　　Yet　the　terror　persisted。　　She；　presently；
would　step　out　of　the　noise；　the　oppressive　moist　heat　of　the　drawing　and
spinning　rooms；　the　constant；　remorseless　menace　of　whirling　wheels　and　cogs
and　belts。　　But　they？。。。　　She　drew　closer　to　Caldwell's　side。

〃I　never　knew〃　she　said。　　〃It　must　be　hard　to　work　here。〃

He　smiled　at　her；　reassuringly。

〃Oh；　they　don't　mind　it；〃　he　replied。　　〃It's　like　a　health　resort　compared　to
the　conditions　most　of　them　live　in　at　home。　　Why；　there's　plenty　of
ventilation　here；　and　you've　got　to　have　a　certain　amou