"The hands in Marfort and Molton and Howton are on the strike, and those in Dillup and Burton are plainly about to follow suit. I've just got a Manchester paper, which says the lookout is bad all over the country. Meetings have been going on in secret for some time." He stopped and sat staring at his partner. Haworth was deathly pale. He seemed, for a moment, to lack breath, and then suddenly the dark color rushed to his face again. "By----" he began, and stopped with the oath upon his lips. "Don't swear, for pity's sake," broke forth Ffrench, finding courage for protest in his very desperation. "It's not the time for it. Let's look the thing in the face." "Look it in the face," Haworth repeated. "Aye, let's." He said the words with a fierce sneer. "Aye, look it in the face, man," he said again. "That's th' thing to do." He bent forward, extending his hand across the table. "Let's see th' paper," he demanded. Ffrench gave it to him, and he read the paragraphs referred to in silence. When he had finished them, he folded the paper again mechanically. "They might have done it last year and welcome, blast 'em!" he said. Ffrench began to tremble. "You've ventured a good deal of late, Haworth," he said, weakly. "You've done some pretty daring things, you know--and----" Haworth turned on him. "If I lose all I've made," he said, hoarsely, "shall I lose aught of yours, lad?" Ffrench did not reply. He sat playing with his watch-chain nervously. He had cause for anxiousness on his own score, and his soul quaked within him. "What is to be done?" he ventured at last. "There's only one thing to be done," Haworth answered, pushing his chair back. "Stop it here--at th' start." "Stop it?" Ffrench echoed, in amazement. "Aye, stop it." He got up and took his hat down and put it on. "I'm going round th' place and about th' yards and into th' town," he said. "There's naught for you to do but keep quiet. Th' quieter you keep th' better for us. Go on as if you'd heard naught. Stay here a bit, and then walk over to th' bank. Look alive, man!" He went out and left Ffrench alone. In the passage he came upon a couple of men who were talking together in low voices. They started at sight of him and walked away slowly. He went first to the engine-room. There he found Floxham and Murdoch talking also. The old engineer wore an irritable air, and was plainly in a testy mood. Murdoch looked fagged and pale. Of late he was often so. As Haworth entered he turned toward him, uttering an exclamation. "He is here now," he said. "That is well enough." Floxham gave him a glance from under his bent, bushy brows. "Aye," he answered. "We may as well out wi' it." He touched his cap clumsily. "Tell him," he said to Murdoch, "an' ha' it over." Murdoch spoke in a cool, low voice.