"It is all very clear to _them_" she said to Haworth as they stood near each other. "It's all clear enough to him," said Haworth, signifying Murdoch with a gesture. Upon which Miss Ffrench smiled a little. She was not sensitive upon the subject of her father's hobbies, and the coarse frankness of the remark amused her. But notwithstanding her lack of interest she drew nearer to the engine finally and stood looking at it, feeling at once fascinated and unpleasantly overpowered by its heavy, invariable motion. It was as she stood in this way a little later that Murdoch's glance fell upon her. The next instant, with the simultaneous cry of terror which broke from the others, he had thrown himself forward and dragged her back by main force, and among the thunderous wheels and rods and shafts there was slowly twisted and torn and ground into shreds a fragment of the delicate fabric of her dress. It was scarcely the work of a second. Her father staggered toward them white and trembling. "Good God!" he cried. "Good God! What----" the words died upon his bloodless lips. She freed herself from Murdoch's grasp and stood upright. She did not look at him at all, she looked at her father and lightly brushed with her hand her sleeve at the wrist. Despite her pallor it was difficult to realize that she only held herself erect by a terrible effort of self-control. "Why"--she said--"why did he touch me--in that manner?" Haworth uttered a smothered oath; Murdoch turned about and strode out of the room. He did not care to remain to hear the explanation. As he went out into the open air a fellow-workman, passing by, stopped to stare at him. "What's up wi' thee?" he asked. "Has tha been punsin Haworth o'er again?" The incident referred to being always remembered as a savory and delectable piece of humor. Murdoch turned to him with a dazed look. "I--" he stammered. "We--have very nearly had an accident." And went on his way without further explanation. CHAPTER XV. "IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING." Exciting events were not so common in Broxton and its vicinity that this one could remain in the background. It furnished a topic of conversation for the dinner and tea-tables of every family within ten miles of the place. On Murdoch's next visit to the Briarleys', Granny Dixon insisted on having the matter explained for the fortieth time and was manifestly disgusted by the lack of dramatic incident connected with it. "Tha seed her dress catch i' th' wheel an' dragged her back," she shouted. "Was na theer nowt else? Did na she swound away, nor nothin'?" "No," he answered. "She did not know what had happened at first." Granny Dixon gave him a shrewd glance of examination, and then favored him with a confidential remark, presented at the top of her voice. "I conna bide her," she said. "What did Mr. Ffrench say to thee?" asked Janey. "Does tha think he'll gie thee owt fur it?" "No," answered Murdoch. "He won't do that."