Two of the girls who had come out with Mary Grover, followed him and returned to their work. One, sitting with her in the doorway, on one of the upper steps, and supporting her yet dizzy head upon her shoulder, remained. Faith asked if she could do anything, and was answered, no, with thanks. She turned away, then, and walked over the planking above the race way, toward the river, where a pretty little footbridge crossed it here, from the end of the mill building. Against this end, projected, on this side, a square, tower-like appendage to the main structure, around which one must pass to reach the footbridge. A door at the base opened upon a staircase leading up. This was the entrance to Mr. Rushleigh's "sanctum," above, which communicated, also, with the second story of the mill. Here Faith paused. She caught, from around the corner, a sound of the angry voices of men. "I tell you, I'll stay here till I see the boss!" "I tell you, the boss won't see you. He's done with you." "Let him _be_ done with me, then; and not go spoiling my chance with other people! I'll see it out with him, somehow, yet." "Better not threaten. He won't go out of his way to meddle with you; only it's no use your sending anybody here after a character. He's one of the sort that speaks the truth and shames the devil." "I'll let him know he ain't boss of the whole country round! D----d if I don't!" Faith turned away from hearing more of this, and from facing the speakers; and took refuge up the open staircase. Above--in the quiet little countingroom, shut off by double doors at the right from the great loom chamber of the mill, and opening at the front by a wide window upon the river that ran tumbling and flashing below, spanned by the graceful little bridge that reached the green slope of the field beyond--it was so cool and pleasant--so still with continuous and softened sound--that Faith sat down upon the comfortable sofa there, to rest, to think, to be alone, a little. She had Paul's letter in her pocket; she had his father's words fresh upon ear and heart. A strange peace came over her, as she placed herself here; as if, somehow, a way was soon to be opened and made clear to her. As if she should come to know herself, and to be brave to act as God should show her how. She heard, presently, Mr. Rushleigh's voice in the mill yard, and then the staircase door closed and locked below. Thinking that he should be here no more, to-night, he had shut and fastened it. It was no matter. She would go through the mill, by and by, and look at the looms; and so out, and over the river, then, to Aunt Faith's. CHAPTER XXVIII. LOCKED IN. "How idle it is to call certain things godsends! as if there were anything else in the world."--HARE.