“It’s narrowing to the mind I dare say, unless you’ve got a man like Mister Roberts with a lot of general ideas,” admitted Sarah.  “But you know very well for that matter you could have a man to-morrow.  Benny Cogle’s mate is daft for you.”

The other sniffed.

“It’s very certain he ain’t got no general ideas, beyond the steam engine.  He can only talk about the water wheel to-day and the boilers to-morrow.  When I find a chap, he’ll have to know a powerful lot more about life than that chap—­and shave himself oftener also.”

“He’d shave every day if you took him, same as Mister Roberts does,” said Sarah.

Elsewhere Mr. Best was starting a run of the Gill Spinner, a machine which took sliver straight from the Drawing Frames and spun it into a large coarse yarn.  A novice watched him get the great machine to work, make all ready and then, at a touch, connect it with the power and set it crashing and roaring.  Its voice was distinctive and might be heard by a practised ear above the prevailing thunder.

Then came Mrs. Nelly Northover to this unfamiliar scene, peeped in at a door or two and failed to see Sarah, who laboured at the other end of the Mill.  But the hostess of ‘The Seven Stars’ knew Sabina Dinnett and now shook hands with her and then stood and watched in bewildered admiration before a big frame of a hundred spindles.

Sabina was spinning with a heart very full of happiness.  On the previous evening she had promised to wed Raymond Ironsyde, and her thoughts to-day were winged with over-mastering joy.  For life had turned into a glorious triumph; the man who had asked her to marry him was not only a gentleman, but far above the power of any wrong-doing.  She knew in the very secret places of her soul, that he could never act away from his honest and noble character; that he was a knight above reproach, incapable of wronging any living thing.  There was an element of risk for most girls who fell in love with those better born than themselves; but none for her.  Other men might deceive and abuse, and suffer outer influences to chill their love, when the secret of it became known; but not this man.  His rare nature had been revealed to her; he desired the welfare of all people; he was moved with nothing but the purest principles and loftiest feeling.  He would not willingly have brought sorrow to a child.  And she had won this unique spirit!  He loved her with the love that only such a man was great enough to show; and she echoed it and knew that such a passion must be unchanging, everlasting, built not only to make their united lives unspeakably happy and gloriously content, but to run over also into the lives of others, less blessed, and leave the sad world happier for their happiness.  There was not a cloud in the sky of her romance and she shared with him for the moment the joy of secrecy.  But that would not be long.  They had determined to hug their delicious knowledge for a little while and then proclaim the great tidings to the world.