. They knew that she was the new owner, that a
disproportionate amount of the result of their toil would in future pass
through her hands, spread carpets for her steps, and hang a setting of
beauty about her eyes; but the knowledge seemed to produce no special
interest in her personality. A change of employer was not likely to make
any change in their lot: their welfare would probably continue to depend
on Truscomb's favour. The men hardly raised their heads as Mrs. Westmore
passed; the women stared, but with curiosity rather than interest; and
Amherst could not tell whether their sullenness reacted on Mrs.
Westmore, or whether they were unconsciously chilled by her
indifference. The result was the same: the distance between them seemed
to increase instead of diminishing; and he smiled ironically to think of
the form his appeal had taken--"If you see anything that seems to need
explaining." Why, she saw nothing--nothing but the greasy floor under
her feet, the cotton-dust in her eyes, the dizzy incomprehensible
whirring of innumerable belts and wheels! Once out of it all, she would
make haste to forget the dreary scene without pausing to ask for any
explanation of its dreariness.

In the intensity of his disappointment he sought a pretext to cut short
the tour of the buildings, that he might remove his eyes from the face
he had so vainly watched for any sign of awakening. And then, as he
despaired of it, the change came.

They had entered the principal carding-room, and were half-way down its
long central passage, when Mr. Tredegar, who led the procession, paused
before one of the cards.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to a ragged strip of black cloth tied
conspicuously to the frame of the card.

The overseer of the room, a florid young man with dissipated eyes, who,
at Amherst's signal, had attached himself to the party, stopped short
and turned a furious glance on the surrounding operatives.

"What in hell...? It's the first I seen of it," he exclaimed, making an
ineffectual attempt to snatch the mourning emblem from its place.

At the same instant the midday whistle boomed through the building, and
at the signal the machinery stopped, and silence fell on the mills. The
more distant workers at once left their posts to catch up the hats and
coats heaped untidily in the corners; but those nearer by, attracted by
the commotion around the card, stood spell-bound, fixing the visitors
with a dull stare.

Amherst