?" said a familiar
voice; and, starting and looking back, I saw that Gentles, the fat
little grinder, was sitting down close to his wet grindstone eating his
dinner, and cutting it with a newly ground knife blade forged out of our
new steel.

"Eels, Gentles!" I said. "I didn't know there were any there."

"Oh, but there are," he said; "straange big 'uns. You set a line with a
big bait on, and you'll soon hev one."

"What, down there by the wheel?"

"Ay, or oop i' the dam. Plenty o' eels, lad, theer."

"I'll have a try," I said eagerly, for the idea of catching one or two
of the creatures was attractive.

From that I got talking to the man about his work, and he promised to
let me have a few turns at grinding.

"On'y, what am I to say if thee coots theesen?" he cried with a chuckle.

"Oh, but you'll show me how to do it without!" I said laughing.

"Nay, but what's good o' thee wanting to grind? Want to tak' work out
o' poor men's hands?"

"Nonsense!" I cried angrily. "Why, Gentles, you know better than that.
All I want is to understand thoroughly how it is done, so that I can
talk to the men about their work, and show them if it isn't right."

"Oh!" he said in a curious tone of voice. "Well, you coom any time when
watter-wheel's going, and I'll show thee all that I know. 'Tain't much.
Keeps men fro' starving."

"Why, Gentles," I cried; "you drew three pounds five last week, and I
saw you paid."

"Three pun' five! Did I?" he said. "Ah, but that was a partic'lar good
week. I've got a missus and a lot o' bairns to keep, and times is very
bad, mester."

"I'm sorry for it," I said; and I went away and had a look in the books
as soon as I reached the office, to find that Master Gentles never drew
less than three pounds a-week; but I did not remind him of it, and
during the next few days he very civilly showed me how his work was
done--that is, the knack of holding and turning the blades, so that I
rapidly acquired the way, and was too busy to notice the peculiar looks
I received from the other men.

Of course I know how that I was a mere bungler, and clumsy, and slow in
the extreme; but at the time I felt as if I must be very clever, and
there was something very satisfactory in seeing a blackened hammered
blade fresh from the forge turn bright and clean in my hands, while the
edge grew sharp and even.

It was playing with edged tools with a vengeance, but I did not
understand it then.

C