f his head, as do the eyes of prawns. And
then? And then Rose Anstey would fall bellowing into his arms, and Sally
would tear her away, and claim Gaga before them all....

How astounded he would be! But anything would be better than this
wretched suppressed exasperation which was making the atmosphere of the
workroom unbearable. Fortunately a girl finished the work she was doing,
and took it to Miss Summers.

"Very bad!" snapped Miss Summers. "It's not even straight! You must do
it again. Naughty girl, to waste that silk like this!"

The girl began weakly to cry. All the others stared viciously at her,
gloating over her distress, hating her, and thankful to have some object
at which to discharge their suppressed venom. They would have liked to
beat her. Savagery shone in their malignant eyes. All became sadistic in
their enjoyment of the weeping girl as she crept back to her place. Only
Miss Summers grew rather red, and swallowed quickly, and was ashamed.

"Nancy!" she called. "What is it? Aren't you well?"

Nancy put her head upon her outstretched arms, and they could hear the
long dreadful sobs that shook her body. Upon every face Sally read the
same message; the curled lips, the pinched nostrils, all indicated the
general strain.

"We're all like that this morning, Miss Summers," she said, almost with
defiance. "It's the weather. That's what it is."

The other girls all turned from Nancy and transferred to Sally their
mounting malevolence. They would have liked to see her swept from her
place. They could have scratched and bitten her with fury. And yet, a
moment or two after she had spoken, there was a perceptible relief.
Nancy stole out of the room, to finish her cry and bathe her face, and
one of the girls--her friend--went after her. There was a pause in work.
A window was opened, and some air lightened the oppression. Sally
remained seated, while the others crowded to the window, and slowly
recovered her own composure. And then, in five minutes, when everybody
resumed, it was found that things were not so bad after all, and Nancy's
work was rectified, and Rose Anstey blew her nose and looked
disagreeable, and some of them talked; so that presently all became more
animated, and the sky lightened, and the day was less trying. Only
Sally's head continued to ache, and her spirits to falter. But she no
longer sighed for Toby. A curious dread of him came into her
consciousness, which she could not understand. Sh