vance a step with her. She held herself aloof
from him, just as she held herself aloof from the rest. A common
greeting, and oftener than not, a silent one, was all that passed
between them. Try as he would, he could get no farther;--and he
certainly did make some effort. Now and then he found the chance to do
her a good turn, and such opportunities he never let slip, though
his way of doing such things was always so quiet as to be unlikely to
attract any observation. Usually he made his way with people easily, but
this girl held him at a distance, almost ungraciously. And he did
not like to be beaten. Who does? So he persevered with a shade of
stubbornness, hidden under a net-work of other motives. Once, when he
had exerted himself to lighten her labor somewhat, she set aside his
assistance openly.

"Theer's others as needs help more nor me," she said. "Help them, an'
I'll thank yo'."

In course of time, however, he accidentally discovered that there had
been occasions when, notwithstanding her apparent ungraciousness, she
had exerted her influence in his behalf.

The older colliers resented his youth, the younger ones his authority.
The fact that he was "noan Lancashire" worked against him too, though
even if he had been a Lancashire man, he would not have been likely to
find over-much favor. It was enough that he was "one o' th' mesters." To
have been weak of will, or vacillating of purpose, would have been death
to every vestige of the authority vested in him; but he was as strong
mentally as physically--strong-willed to the verge of stubbornness. But
if they could not frighten or subdue him, they could still oppose
and irritate him, and the contention was obstinate. This feeling even
influenced the girls and women at the "mouth." They, too, organized in
petty rebellion, annoying if not powerful.

"I think yo' will find as yo' may as well leave th' engineer be," Joan
would say dryly. "Yo' will na fear him much, an' yo'll tire yo'rsens wi'
yo're clatter. I donna see the good o' barkin' so much when yo' canna
bite."

"Aye," jeered one of the boldest, once, "leave th' engineer be. Joan
sets a power o' store by th' engineer."

There was a shout of laughter, but it died out when Joan confronted the
speaker with dangerous steadiness of gaze.

"Save thy breath to cool thy porridge," she said. "It will be better for
thee."

But it was neither the first nor the last time that her companions flung
out a jeer at her