and packed a luncheon for
him, to which she added a few of the little luxuries which for a long
time the family had denied themselves.

And so in high spirits Pierre set forth for Pont-de-Saint-Michel. How
familiar every step of the journey seemed this time! And how good it was
to find Henri St. Amant awaiting him in the office of the Gaspard mills!

"I have been working over time all the last week, so they are letting me
have this morning to show you about the throwing mills," he explained,
his eyes shining into Pierre's still brighter ones. "And at noontime
when we have finished our round of the factory we can go down by the
river, and while we eat our luncheon we can talk together. Therefore
suppose we do not waste precious moments in visiting now, for we shall
scarcely have time to see all I want to show you before the noon whistle
blows."

Accordingly Pierre's box of lunch was stowed away in Henri's locker, and
speeding across the little bridge that connected the filature with the
throwing mills, the two boys entered the great factories.

"Before we go another step there is one question I must ask you," said
Pierre, stopping in the doorway. "I want you to tell me why the twisting
of raw silk into thread is called _throwing_."

"I'll try to explain it as well as I can, Pierre," answered Henri.
"Maybe you have stuck me on the very first question you've asked," he
added smiling. "All I know is that the operation of twisting, or
throwsting, the fibres of raw silk has come to be abbreviated into
throwing. The workmen are known as silk throwsters. It is an old trade.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century there were throwing mills at
Bologna which were so good that it is from them our present day
machinery has been copied and perfected. Usually the work is done on
commission--the manager, or throwster, receiving orders from weaving
mills for exactly the sort of thread they wish to use."

"Isn't it all alike?"

"No, indeed! It varies in size according to the number of threads in a
strand, and the number of twists and turns to the inch. Some materials
that are to be woven require heavy, loosely twisted thread; others, that
which is fine and tightly twisted. And in addition to these differences
some thread is not made from pure silk, or even from silk of the best
quality; raw silk which is imperfect can just as well be used for
certain purposes, or silk that is twisted with a strand of cotton or
some other fillin