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him to suspect it； learning his idiosyncrasies； his attitude toward all those
with whom daily he came in contact； only to find herself approving。 She was
forced to admit that he was a judge of men； compelled to admire his adroitness
in dealing with them。 He could be democratic or autocratic as occasion
demanded； he knew when to yield； and when to remain inflexible。 One morning；
for instance； there arrived from New York a dapper salesman whose jauntily tied
bow； whose thin haircarefully parted to conceal an incipient baldnesswhose
wary and slightly weary eyes all impressively suggested the metropolitan
atmosphere of high pressure and sophistication from which he had emerged。 He
had a machine to sell； an amazing machine； endowed with human intelligence and
more than human infallibility； for when it made a mistake it stopped。 It was
designed for the express purpose of eliminating from the payroll the skilled
and sharp…eyed women who are known as 〃drawers…in；〃 who sit all day long under
a north light patiently threading the ends of the warp through the heddles of
the loom harness。 Janet's imagination was gradually fired as she listened to
the visitor's eloquence； and the textile industry； which hitherto had seemed to
her uninteresting and sordid； took on the colours of romance。
〃Now I've made up my mind we'll place one with you； Mr。 Ditmar；〃 the salesman
concluded。 〃I don't object to telling you we'd rather have one in the
Chippering than in any mill in New England。〃
Janet was surprised； almost shocked to see Ditmar shake his head； yet she felt
a certain reluctant admiration because he had not been swayed by blandishments。
At such moments； when he was bent on refusing a request； he seemed physically
to acquire massiveness；and he had a dogged way of chewing his cigar。
〃I don't want it； yet；〃 he replied； 〃not until you improve it。〃 And she was
impressed by the fact that he seemed to know as much about the machine as the
salesman himself。 In spite of protests； denials； appeals； he remained firm。
〃When you get rid of the defects I've mentioned come back； Mr。 Hicksbut don't
come back until then。〃
And Mr。 Hicks departed； discomfited。。。。
Ditmar knew what he wanted。 Of the mill he was the absolute master； familiar
with every process； carrying constantly in his mind how many spindles； how many
looms were at work； and if anything untoward happened； becoming aware of it by
what seemed to Janet a subconscious process； sending for the superintendent of
the department： for Mr。 Orcutt； perhaps； whose office was across the halla
tall； lean； spectacled man of fifty who looked like a schoolmaster。
〃Orcutt； what's the matter with the opener in Cooney's room？〃
〃Why； the blower's out of order。〃
〃Well； whose fault is it？〃。。。。
He knew every watchman and foreman in the mill； and many of the second hands。
The old workers； men and women who had been in the Chippering employ through
good and bad times for years； had a place in his affections； but toward the
labour force in general his attitude was impersonal。 The mill had to be run；
and people to be got to run it。 With him； first and last and always it was the
mill； and little by little what had been for Janet a heterogeneous mass of
machinery and human beings became unified and personified in Claude Ditmar。 It
was odd how the essence and quality of that great building had changed for her；
how the very roaring of the looms； as she drew near the canal in the mornings；
had ceased to be sinister and depressing； but bore now a burden like a great
battle song to excite and inspire； to remind her that she had been snatched as
by a miracle from the commonplace。 And all this was a function of Ditmar。
Life had become portentous。 And she was troubled by no qualms of logic； but
gloried； womanlike； in her lack of it。 She did not ask herself why she had
deliberately enlarged upon Miss Ottway's duties； invaded debatable ground in
part inevitably personal； flung herself with such abandon into the enterprise
of his life's passion； at the same time maintaining a deceptive attitude of
detachment； half deceiving herself that it was zeal for the work by which she
was actuated。 In her soul she knew better。 She was really pouring fuel on the
flames。 She read him； up to a certain pointas far as was necessary； and
beneath his attempts at self…control she was conscious of a dynamic desire that
betrayed itself in many acts and signs；as when he brushed against her； and
occasionally when he gave evidence with his subordinates of a certain shortness
of temper unusual with him she experienced a vaguely alarming but delicious
thrill of power。 And this； of all men； was the great Mr。 Ditmar！ Was she in
love with him？ That question did not trouble her either。 She continued to
experience in his presence waves of antagonism and attraction； revealing to her
depths and possibilities of her nature that frightened while they fascinated。
It never occurred to her to desist。 That craving in her for high adventure was
not to be denied。
On summer evenings it had been Ditmar's habit when in Hampton to stroll about
his lawn； from time to time changing the position of the sprinkler； smoking a
cigar； and reflecting pleasantly upon his existence。 His house； as he gazed at
it against the whitening sky； was an eminently satisfactory abode； his wife was
dead； his children gave him no trouble； he felt a glow of paternal pride in his
son as the boy raced up and down the sidewalk on a bicycle； George was manly；
large and strong for his age； and had a domineering way with other boys that
gave Ditmar secret pleasure。 Of Amy； who was showing a tendency to stoutness；
and who had inherited her mother's liking for candy and romances； Ditmar
thought scarcely at all： he would glance at her as she lounged； reading； in a
chair on the porch； but she did not come within his range of problems。 He had；
in short； everything to make a reasonable man content； a life nicely compounded
of sustenance； pleasure； and business；business naturally being the greatest
of these。 He wasthough he did not know itethically and philosophically
right in squaring his morals with his occupation； and his had been the good
fortune to live in a world whose codes and conventions had been carefully
adjusted to the pursuit of that particular brand of happiness he had made his
own。 Why； then； in the name of that happiness； of the peace and sanity and
pleasurable effort it had brought him； had he allowed and even encouraged the
advent of a new element that threatened to destroy the equilibrium achieved？ an
element refusing to be classified under the head of property； since it involved
something he desired and could not buy？ A woman who was not property； who
resisted the attempt to be turned into property； was an anomaly in Ditmar's
universe。 He had not； of course； existed for more than forty years without
having heard and read of and even encountered in an acquaintance or two the
species of sex attraction sentimentally called love that sometimes made fools
of men and played havoc with more important affairs； but in his experience it
had never interfered with his sanity or his appetite or the Chippering Mill： it
had never made his cigars taste bitter； it had never caused a deterioration in
the appreciation of what he had achieved and held。 But now he was experiencing
strange symptoms of an intensity out of all proportion to that of former
relations with the other sex。 What was most unusual for him； he was alarmed
and depressed； at moments irritable。 He regretted the capricious and
apparently accidental impulse that had made him pretend to tinker with his
automobile that day by the canal； that had led him to the incomparable idiocy
of getting rid of Miss Ottway and installing the disturber of his peace as his
private stenographer。
What the devil was it in her that made him so uncomfortable？ When in his
office he had difficulty in keeping his mind on matters of import； he would
watch her furtively as she went about the room with the lithe and noiseless
movements that excited him the more because he suspected beneath her outward
and restrained demeanour a fierceness he craved yet feared。 He thought of her
continually as a panther； a panther he had caught and could not tame； he hadn't
even caught her； since she might escape at any time。 He took precautions not
to alarm her。 When she brushed against him he trembled。 Continually she
baffled and puzzled him； and he never could tell of what she was thinking。 She
represented a whole set of new and undetermined values for which he had no
precedents； and unlike every woman he had knownincluding his wifeshe had an
integrity of her own； seemingly beyond the reach of all influences economic and
social。 All the more exasperating； therefore； was a propinquity creating an
intimacy without substance； or without the substance he craved for she had
magically become for him a sort of enveloping； protecting atmosphere。 In an
astonishingly brief time he had fallen into the habit of talking things over
with her； naturally not affairs of the first importance； but matters such as
the economy of his time： whe