“I wish some of us were more of savages, then,” I returned; for I saw signs of exhaustion in her eyes which moved my sympathy. “You don’t mean me, Mr Walton, I hope. For if you do, I assure you your interest is quite thrown away. Uncle will tell you I am as strong as an elephant.” But here came a slight elevation of her person; and a shadow at the same moment passed over her face. I saw that she felt she ought not to have allowed herself to become the subject of conversation. Meantime her uncle was busy at one of his benches filing away at a piece of brass fixed in the vice. He had thick gloves on. And, indeed, it had puzzled me before to think how he could have so many kinds of work, and yet keep his hands so smooth and white as they were. I could not help thinking the results could hardly be of the most useful description if they were all accomplished without some loss of whiteness and smoothness in the process. Even the feet that keep the garments clean must be washed themselves in the end. When I glanced away from Miss Oldcastle in the embarrassment produced by the repulsion of her last manner, I saw Judy in the room. At the same moment Miss Oldcastle rose. “What is the matter, Judy?” she said. “Grannie wants you,” said Judy. Miss Oldcastle left the room, and Judy turned to me. “How do you do, Mr Walton?” she said. “Quite well, thank you, Judy,” I answered. “Your uncle admits you to his workshop, then?” “Yes, indeed. He would feel rather dull, sometimes, without me. Wouldn’t you, Uncle Stoddart?” “Just as the horses in the field would feel dull without the gad-fly, Judy,” said Mr Stoddart, laughing. Judy, however, did not choose to receive the laugh as a scholium explanatory of the remark, and was gone in a moment, leaving Mr Stoddart and myself alone. I must say he looked a little troubled at the precipitate retreat of the damsel; but he recovered himself with a smile, and said to me, “I wonder what speech I shall make next to drive you away, Mr Walton.” “I am not so easily got rid of, Mr Stoddart,” I answered. “And as for taking offence, I don’t like it, and therefore I never take it. But tell me what you are doing now.” “I have been working for some time at an attempt after a perpetual motion, but, I must confess, more from a metaphysical or logical point of view than a mechanical one.” Here he took a drawing from a shelf, explanatory of his plan.