“That’s true.  The Carder is out of date and the Spreader certainly is.”

“The thing is to get the best substitutes in the market.  You’ll have to go round again in a larger spirit.  I’m not frightened of risks.  Is there anybody here who can take your place for a month or six weeks?”

Mr. Best shook his head.

“There certainly is not,” he said.

“Then we must look round Bridport for a man.  I’m prepared to put money into the changes, provided I have you behind me.  I can trust you absolutely to know; but I advocate a more sporting policy than my poor brother did.  After that we come to the people.  I’ve got my business at my fingers’ ends now and I found I was better at figures than I thought.  There must be some changes.  There are two problems:  time and money.  Either one or other; or probably both must be bettered—­that’s what I am faced with.”

“It wants careful thinking out, sir.”

“Well, you are a great deal more to me than my foreman, and you know it.  I look to you and only you to help me run the show at Bridetown, henceforth.  And, before everything, I want my people to be keen and feel my good is their good and their good is mine.  Anyway, I have based changes on a fair calculation of future profits, plus necessary losses and need to make up wear and tear.”

“And remember, raw products tend to rise in price all the time.”

“As to that, I’m none too sure we’ve been buying in the best market.  When I know more about it, I may travel a bit myself.  Meantime, I’m changing two of our travellers.”

Mr. Best nodded.

“That’s to the good,” he said.  “I know which.  Poor Mr. Daniel would keep them, because his father had told him they were all they ought to be.  But least said, soonest mended.”

“As to the staff, it’s summed up in a word.  I mean for them a little less time and a little more money.  Some would like longer hours and much higher wages; some would be content with a little more money; some only talked about shorter time.  I heard them all air their opinions in the past.  But I’ve concluded for somewhat shorter hours and somewhat better money.  You must rub it into them that new machinery will indirectly help them, too, and make the work lighter and the results better.”

“That’s undoubtedly true, but it’s no good saying so.  You’ll never make them feel that new machinery helps them.  But they’ll be very glad of a little more money.”

“We must enlarge their minds and make them understand that the better the machinery, the better their prospects.  As I go up—­and I mean to—­so they shall go up.  But our hope of success lies in the mechanical means we employ.  They must grasp that intelligently, and be patient, and not expect me to put them before the Mill.  If the works succeed, then they succeed and I succeed.  If the works hang fire and get behindhand, then they will suffer.  We’re all the servants of the machinery.  I want them to grasp that.”