A WALK
The Carding Machine was a squat and noisy monster. Mr. Best confessed
that it had put him in mind of a passage from Holy Writ, for it seemed
to be all eyes, behind and before. The 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--that mass of short material which Levi Baggs, the hackler,
pruned away from his long strides. As for the minder, Sally Groves, she
seemed built and born to tend a Carding Machine. She moved with dignity
despite her great size, and although covered in tow dust from head to
foot and powdered with a layer of pale amber fluff, she stood as well as
another for the solemnity of toil, laboured steadfastly, was neither
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 after hour, to spread the tow truly and evenly upon
the rolling board. One of less experience might have needed to weigh her
material, but Sally never weighed; by long practice and good judgment,
she produced sliver of even texture.
The carder panted, crashed and shook with its energies. It glimmered all
over with the bright, hairy gossamer of the tow, which wound thinly
through systems of fast and slow wheels. Between them the material was
lashed and pricked, divided and sub-divided, torn and lacerated by
thousands 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 must have torn to atoms the fine amber coils in which it ejected
the strips of shining sliver. Enormous waste marked the operation.
Beneath the machine rose mounds of dust and dirt, and fluff, light as
thistledown; while as much was sucked away into the air by the exhaust
above.
In a lion-coloured overall and under a hat tied beneath her chin with a
yellow handkerchief, Sally Groves pursued her task. Then came to her
Sabina Dinnett and, ceasing not to spread her tow the while, Sally spoke
serious words.
"I asked Nancy Buckler to send you along when your machine stopped a
minute. You won't be vexed with me if I say something, will you?"
"Vexed with you, Sally? Who ever was vexed with you?"
"I'm old enough to be your mother, and 'tis her work if anybody's to
speak to you," explained Sally; "but she's not here, and she don't see
what I can't help seeing."
"What have you seen then?"
"I've seen a very good-looking young man by the name of Raymond Ironsyde
wasting a deuce of a lot of his time by your spinning frame; and wasting
your time, too."
Sabina changed colour.
"Fancy you saying that!" she exclaimed. "He's got to learn the
business--the practical side, Sally. And he wants to master it carefully
and grasp the whole thing."
Miss Groves smiled.
"Ah. He didn't take long mastering the carder," she said. "Just two
minutes was all he gave me, and I don't think he was very long at the
drawing heads neither; and I ain't heard Sarah Northover say he spent
much of his time at the spreader. It all depends on the minder whether
Mister Raymond wants to know much about the work!"
"But the spinning is the hardest to understand, Sally."
"Granted, but he don't ask many questions of Alice Chick or Nancy
Buckler, do he? I'm not blaming him, Lord knows, nor yet you, but for
friendship I'm whispering to you to be sensible. He's a very
kind-hearted young gentleman, and if 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 may be
as good as gold, and I dare say he is, but he's gone on you--head
over heels--he can't hide it. He don't even try to. And he's a gentleman
and you're a spinner. So don't you be silly, and don't think the worse
of me for speaking."
Sabina entertained the opinions concerning middle-age common to youth,
but she was fond of Sally and set her heart at rest.
"You needn't be frightened," she answered. "He's a gentleman, as you
say; and you know I'm not the sort to be a fool. I can't help him
coming; and I can't be rude to the young man. For that matter I
wouldn't. I won't forget what you've said all the same."
She hurried away and started her machine; but while her mind
concentrated on spinning, some subconscious instincts worked at another
matter and she found that Sally had cast a cloud upon a coming event
which promised nothing but sunshine.
She had agreed to go for a walk with Raymond Ironsyde on the following
Sunday, and he had named their meeting-place: a bridge that crossed the
Bride in the vale two miles from the village. She meant to go, for the
understanding between her and Raymond had advanced far beyond any point
dreamed of by Sally Groves. Sabina's mind was in fact exceedingly full
of Raymond, and his mind was full of her. Temperament had conspired to
this state of things, for while the youth found himself in love for the
first time in his life, and pursued the quest with that ardour 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 to wed until there
came a man who could lift her above work and give her a home that would
embrace comfort and leisure. She waited, confident that this would
happen, for she knew that she could charm men. As yet none had come who
awakened any emotion of love in Sabina; and she told herself that real
love might alter her values and send her to a poor man's home after all.
If that happened, she was willing; but she thought it improbable;
because, in her experience, poor men were ignorant, and she felt very
sure no ignorant man would ever make her love him.
Then came into her life one very much beyond her dreams, and from an
attitude of utmost caution before a physical beauty that fascinated her,
she woke into tremendous excitation of mind at the discovery that he,
too, was interested. To her it seemed that he had plenty of brains. His
ideas were human and beautiful. He declared the conditions of the
workers to be not sufficiently considered. He was full of nebulous
theories for the amelioration of such conditions. The spectacle of women
working for 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 interested in her and did not care
who knew it. Common-sense could not modify that; nor would she listen to
common-sense, when it suggested that Raymond's record was uninspiring,
and pointed to no great difference between him and other young men. She
told herself that he was misunderstood; she whispered to herself that
she understood him. It must be so, for he had declared it. He had said
that he was an idealist. As a matter of fact he did not himself know the
meaning of the word half as well as Sabina.
He filled her thoughts, and believing him to be honourable, in the
everyday acceptation of the word, she knew she was safe and need not
fear him. This fact added to the joy and excitement of a situation that
was merely thrilling, not difficult. 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 meant to go,
yet felt, in sanguine moments, that he would go all the way, sooner or
later, and offer to marry her. Her friends declared it would be so. They
were mightily interested, but not jealous, for the girls recognised
Sabina's advantages.
When, therefore, he asked her to take a walk on a certain Sunday
afternoon, she agreed to do so. There was no plotting or planning about
it. He named a familiar place of meeting and proposed to go thence to
the cliffs--a ramble that might bring them face to face with a dozen
people 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 Sally
did not, and told herself that Raymond was a great deal more than a
gentleman, just as she--Sabina--was something more than a spinner. That,
however, was the precious knowledge peculiar to the young people
themselves. She could not expect Sally, or anybody else, to know it yet.
As for the young man, life had cut away from him most of his former
interests and amusements. He was keeping regular hours and working
steadily. He regarded himself as a martyr, yet could get none to take
that view. To him, then, came his love affair as a very present help in
time of trouble. 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 his existence, and the void thereby created, came love,
and he had leisure to welcome it. He magnified Sabina, and since her
intellect was as good as his own and her education better, he assured
himself that she was in every respect superior to her position and
worthy of any man's admiration.
He did not analyse his feelings or look ahead very far. He did not
bother to ask himself what he wanted. He was only concerned to make
Sabina 'a chum,' as he said, to himself. He knew this to be nonsense,
even while he said it, but in the excitement of the quest, chose to
ignore rational lines of thought.
They met by the little bridge over Bride, then walked southerly up a
hill to a hamlet, and so on to the heights. Beneath the sponge-coloured
cliffs eastward swept the grand scythe of Chesil Bank; but an east 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 where, separated
from the sea by great pebble-ridges, there lay a little mere. Two swans
swam together upon it, and round about the grey stone banks were washed
with silver pink, where the thrift prospered.
Sabina had not talked much, though she proved a good listener; but
Raymond spoke fitfully, too, at first. He was new to this sort of thing
and told her so.
"I don't believe I've ever been for a walk with a girl in my life
before," he said.
"I can't walk fast enough for you, I'm afraid."
"Oh yes, you can; you're a very good walker."
At last he began to tell her about himself, in the usual fashion of the
male, who knows by instinct that subject is most interesting to both. He
dwelt on his sporting triumphs of the past, and explained 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 such painful experience. Before this
narrative Sabina affected a deeper sympathy than she felt, yet honestly
perceived that to such a man, his present life of regular hours must be
dreary and desolate.
"It's terrible dull for you, I'm sure," she said.
"It was," he confessed, "but I'm getting broken in, or perhaps it's
because you're so jolly friendly. You're the only person I know in the
whole world who has got the mind and imagination to see what a frightful
jar 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 began to play. Even my great friend, Arthur Waldron, talks
rubbish about everybody having to work sooner or later--not that he ever
did. But you were quick enough to see in a moment. You're tremendously
clever, really."
"I wish I was; but I saw, of course, that you were rather contemptuous
of it all."
"So I was at first," he confessed. "At first I felt that it was a
woman's show, and that what women can do well is no work for men. But
I soon 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
light of it; that was rather an eye-opener. Whenever any pal of mine
talks twaddle about what women can't do, I shall bring him to see you at
work."
"I could do something better than spin if I got the chance," she said,
and he applauded the sentiment highly.
"Of course you could, and I'm glad you've got the pluck to say so. I
knew that from the first. You're a lot too clever for spinning, really.
You'd shine anywhere. Let's sit here under this thorn bush. I must get
some rabbiting over this scrub. The place swarms with them. You don't
mind if I smoke?"
They rested, and he ventured to make a personal remark after Sabina had
taken off her gloves to cool her hands.
"You've hurt yourself," he said, noting what seemed to be an injury. But
she made light of it.
"It's only a corn from stopping the spindles. Every spinner's hands are
like that. Alice Chick has chilblains in winter, then she gets a cruel,
bad hand."
The slight deformity made Raymond uncomfortable. He could not bear to
think of a woman suffering such a stigma in her tender flesh.
"They ought to invent something to prevent you being hurt," he said, and
Sabina laughed.
"Why, there are very few manual trades don't leave their mark," she
answered, "and a woman's lucky to get nothing worse than a scarred
hand."
"Would it come right," he ventured to ask, "if you gave up spinning?"
"Yes, in no time. There are worse things happen to you in the mills than
that--and more painful. Sometimes the wind from the reels numbs your
fingers till you can't feel 'em and they 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 would be more comfortable for us. Not that I'm
grumbling. Our mill is about as perfect as any mill can be, and we've
got the blessing of living in the country, too--that's worth a lot."
"You're fond of the country."
"Couldn't live out of it," she said. "Thanks to Mr. Churchouse, I know
more about things than some girls."
"I should think you did."
"He's very wise and kind and lends me books."
"A very nice old bird. I nearly went to live with him when I came to
Bridetown. Sorry I didn't, now."
She smiled and did not pretend to miss the compliment.
"As to the Mill," he went on; "don't think I'm the sort of chap that
just drifts and is contented to let things be as they were in the time
of his father and grandfather."
"Wouldn't you?"
"Certainly not. No doubt it's safer and easier and the line of least
resistance and all that sort of thing. But when I've once mastered the
business, you'll see. I didn't want to come in, but now I'm in, I'm
going to the roots of it, and I shall have a pretty big say in things,
too, later on."
"Fancy!" said Sabina.
"Oh yes. You mustn't suppose my brother and I see alike all round. We
don't. He wants to be a copy of my father, and I've no ambition to be
anything of the kind. My father wasn't at all sporting to me, Sabina,
and it doesn't alter the fact because he's dead. The first thing is the
workers, 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 and improves the conditions and raises the wages all round.
D'you know what I would do if I had my way? I'd go one better than the
Trade Unions! I'd cut the ground from under their feet! I'd say to
Capital 'instead of whining about the Trades Unions, get to work and
make them needless.'"
But these gigantic ideas, uttered on the spur of the moment by one who
knew less than nothing of his subject, did not interest Sabina as much
as he expected. The reason, however, he did not know. It was that he
had called her by her name for the first time. It slipped out without
intention, 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 measure less of that respect he had always paid her. But, on
the whole, she felt glad. He waited for her to speak and did not know
that she had heard little, but was wondering at that moment if he would
go back to the formal 'Miss Dinnett' again, or always call her 'Sabina'
in future.
After a pause Raymond spoke.
"Now tell me about yourself," he said. "I'm sure you've heard enough
about me."
"There's nothing to tell."
"How did you happen to be a spinner?"
"Mother was, so I went into it as a matter of course."
"I should have thought old Churchouse would have seen you're a genius,
and educated you and adopted you."
"Nothing of a genius about me. I'm like most other girls."
"I never saw another girl like you," he said.
"You'd spoil anybody with your compliments."
"Never paid a compliment in my life," he declared.
Their conversation became desultory, and presently Sabina said she must
be going home.
"Mother will be wondering."
On the way back they met another familiar pair and Sabina speculated as
to what Raymond thought; but he showed no emotion and took off his hat
to Sarah Northover and Nicholas Roberts, the lathe worker, as they
passed by. Sarah smiled, and Nicholas, a thin, good-looking man, took
off his hat also.
"I must go and study the lathes," said Raymond after they had passed.
"That's a branch of the work I haven't looked at yet. Roberts seems a
good chap, and he's a very useful bowler, I find."
"He's engaged to Sarah; they're going to be married when he can get a
house."
"That's another thing that must be looked to. There are scores of
cottages that want pulling down here. I shall point that out to the Lord
of the Manor when I get a chance."
"You're all for changes and improvements, Mister Ironsyde."
"Call me Raymond, Sabina."
"I couldn't do that."
"Why not? I want you to. By the way, may I call you Sabina?"
"Yes, if you care to."
They parted at the entrance gate of 'The Magnolias,' and Raymond thanked
her very heartily for her company.
"I've looked forward to this," he said. "And now I shall look forward to
the next time. It's very sporting of you to come and I'm tremendously
grateful and--good-bye, Sabina--till to-morrow."
He went on up the road to North Hill House and felt the evening had
grown tasteless without her. He counted the hours to when he would see
her again. She went to work at seven o'clock, but he never appeared at
the Mill until ten, or later.
He began to see that this was the most serious thing within his
experience. He supposed that it must be enduring and tend to alter the
whole tenor of his life. Marriage was one of the stock jokes in his
circle, 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 up. He tried to treat the matter as a joke with himself, but he
could not. He felt melancholy, and that night at supper Waldron asked
what was wrong, while Estelle told him he must be ill, because he was
so dull.
"I don't believe the spinning works are good for you," she said.
"Ask for a holiday and distract your mind with other things," suggested
Waldron. "If you'd come out in the mornings and ride for a couple of
hours before breakfast, as I do, you'd be all right."
"I will," promised Raymond. "I want bucking up."
He pictured Sabina on horseback.
"I wish to God I was rich instead of being a pauper!" he exclaimed.
"My advice is that you stick it out for a year or more, till you've
convinced your brother you'll never be any good at spinning," said
Arthur 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 your hands for a higher purpose, and you will go into
breeding stock, or some such thing, to help keep up the sporting
instincts of the country."
With that bright picture still before him Raymond retired. But he was
not hopeful and even vague suggestions on Waldron's part that his friend
should become his bailiff and study agriculture did not serve to win
from the sufferer more than thanks. The truth he did not mention,
knowing that neither Waldron, nor anybody else, would offer palatable
counsel in connection with that.