n them had
been that the work must be done, not only thoroughly, but quickly. As
many additional workmen as they required, as much solid material as they
needed, but there must be a despatch which at first it staggered them
to contemplate. They had not known such methods before. They had been
accustomed to work under money limitation throughout their lives, and,
when work must be done with insufficient aid, it must be done slowly.
Economy had been the chief factor in all calculations, speed had not
entered into them, so leisureliness had become a fixed habit. But it
seemed American to sweep leisureliness away into space with a free
gesture.

"It must be done QUICKLY," Miss Vanderpoel had said. "If ten men cannot
do it quickly enough, you must have twenty--or as many more as are
needed. It is time which must be saved just now."

Time more than money, it appeared. Buttle's experience had been that you
might take time, if you did not charge for it. When time began to mean
money, that was a different matter. If you did work by the job, you
might drive in a few nails, loiter, and return without haste; if you
worked by the hour, your absence would be inquired into. In the present
case no one could loiter. That was realised early. The tall girl, with
the deep straight look at you, made you realise that without spoken
words. She expected energy something like her own. She was a new force
and spurred them. No man knew how it was done, but, when she appeared
among them--even in the afternoon--"lookin' that womany," holding up
her thin dress over lace petticoats, the like of which had not been seen
before, she looked on with just the same straight, expecting eyes.
They did not seem to doubt in the least that she would find that great
advance had been made.

So advance had been made, and work accomplished. As Betty walked from
one place to another she saw the signs of it with gratification. The
place was not the one she had come to a few months ago. Hothouses,
outbuildings, stables were in repair. Work was still being done in
different places. In the house itself carpenters or decorators were
enclosed in some rooms, and at their business, but exterior order
prevailed. In the courtyard stablemen were at work, and her own groom
came forward touching his forehead. She paid a visit to the horses. They
were fine creatures, and, when she entered their stalls, made room for
her and whinnied gently, in well-founded expectation of sugar