“I feel so, too, sometimes,” she admitted, “but I never dared to confess it.  Once married, I think Raymond would steady down and realise his responsibilities.  We must both do what we can to bring the brothers together again.  It will take a long time to make Daniel forgive this business.”

“It is just the Daniel type who would take it most seriously, even if we are able soon to say ‘all’s well that ends well.’  For that reason, one regrets he heard particulars.  However, we must trust and believe the future will set all right and reinstate Raymond at the works.  For my own part I feel very sure that will happen.”

“Well, I always like to see hope triumphing over experience,” she said, “and one need never look further than you for that.”

“Thank yourself,” he answered.  “Your steadfast optimism always awakes an echo in me.  If we make up our minds that this is going to be all right, that will at least help on the good cause.  We can’t do much to make it all right, but we can do something.  They are in Bridport house-hunting this morning, I hear.”

“They are; and that reminds me they come to lunch and, I hope, to report progress.  Of course anything Raymond likes, Sabina approves; but he isn’t easily satisfied.  However, they may have found something.  Daniel, rather fortunately, is from home just now, in the North.”

“If we could get him to the wedding, it would be a great thing.”

“I’m afraid we mustn’t hope for that; but we can both urge him to come.  He may.”

“I will compose a very special letter to him,” said Mr. Churchouse.  “How’s your rheumatism?”

“Better, if anything.”

CHAPTER XXI

THE WARPING MILL

In the warping shed Mercy Gale plied her work.  It was a separate building adjoining the stores at Bridetown Mill and, like them, impregnated with the distinctive, fat smell of flax and hemp.  Under dusty rafters and on a floor of stone the huge warping reels stood.  They were light, open frameworks that rose from floor to ceiling and turned upon steel rods.  Hither came the full bobbins from the spinning machines to be wound off.  Two dozen of the bobbins hung together on a flat frame or ‘creel’ and through eyes and slots the yarn ran through a ‘hake,’ which deftly crossed the strands so that they ran smoothly and freely.  The bake box rose and fell and lapped the yarn in perfect spirals round the warping reels as they revolved.  The length of a reel of twine varies in different places and countries; but at Bridetown, a Dorset reel was always measured, and it represented twenty-one thousand, six hundred yards.

Mercy Gale was chaining the warp off the reels in great massive coils which would presently depart to be polished and finished at Bridport.  All its multiple forms sprang from the simple yarn.  It would turn into shop and parcel twines; fishing twines for deep sea lines and nets; and by processes of reduplication, swell to cords and shroud laid ropes, hawsers and mighty cables.