it was, the kind that makes
people sit down again in a fire-scared theatre:

"_Take your seats, every one of you_.... Nothing's going to happen.
You're all right, I say. Go on with your work. _Sit down. Get to
work_...."

"Air," said Cally Heth, in a small colorless voice.

Hugo wheeled sharply.

"Great heavens!--_Carlisle_!... Do you feel faint?"

He had her at the open window in a trice, clasping her arm tight,
speaking masculine encouragement.... "Hold hard, my dear!... I should
have watched you.... Now, breathe this.... Gulp it in, Cally...."

His beloved, indeed, like the work-sisters, had felt the brush of the
black wing. For an instant nothing had seemed surer than that the
daughter of the Works would be the fifth girl to faint in the
bunching-room that day; she had seen the floor rise under her whirling
vision....

But once at the window the dark minute passed speedily. The keen October
air bore the gift of life. Blood trickled back into the dead
white cheeks.

"I ... was just a little dizzy," said Cally, quite apologetically....

And, though the visitors departed then, almost immediately, all signs of
the sudden little panic in the bunching-room were already rapidly
disappearing. Work proceeded. The gaunt girl Miller, who had earned
MacQueen's permanent dislike by starting all the trouble, was observed
sitting again at her machine, hands and feet reaching out for the
accustomed levers.

* * * * *

It made an amazing difference simply to be outdoors again. The last few
minutes in the Works had been like a waxing nightmare. But the sunshine
was bright and sane; the raw clean winds blew the horrors away.
Carlisle, realizing that she had been swept along toward something like
hysterics, struggled with some success to recapture poise and
common sense.

But she could not now quite strike the manner of one who has merely
paused for an irresponsible peep. Hugo was aware of a change in her,
before they were fairly in the car again. He had occasion to reflect
anew, not without irritation, what an unfortunate turn she had given to
the afternoon of romance, over his own plainly expressed wishes....

Yet nothing could have exceeded his solicitousness. He seemed to feel
that he had been neglectful upstairs, that she would not have felt faint
if he had properly presided over her movements. Cally had to assure him
half a dozen times in as many blocks that she felt quite herself