The reading room was the huge bare apartment where the fire had been laid, and tracked, a few nights before. The rafters still shewed some smoke, and there was a less number of bales piled up at the end of the room than when Hazel had seen it the first time. Lamps hung now from the beams overhead, enough of them to give a fair illumination; for as Rollo explained to her afterwards, he wanted to have a view of his hearers. Their view of him was secured by a well arranged group of burners in that quarter. The audience room was as rough as the audience. It was a strange experience for the little lady of Chickaree. In the midst of all that crowd of mill hands, with their coarse dresses and unkempt heads and head gear, she was in a part of the world very far from her own. A still, respectful crowd they were, however. Looking beyond and over them, to the circle of lights at the end of the cotton bales, she could just see Dane's head, where he was standing and speaking to some one; then presently he mounted upon his rude rostrum and the light illumined his whole figure. 'He ain't keerful about shewin' hisself,'—said a drawling native voice in Wych Hazel's neighbourhood. 'Hain't no objection to folks' reck'nin' his inches.' 'He's baulder'n I'd loike to be—' said another voice, Wych Hazel could not guess of what nationality. 'A can bear it,' answered a woman. 'I'd loike to see _you_ a standin' up for your picter, Jim!' 'He don't mind!' said a brisk lass. 'You bet, he knows all about it. Don't he, though!' 'Is he a married mon?' 'Na, he's got nobody to look arter him.' 'He don't mind _that_, ayther.' 'He's mighty onconsarned, anyhow,' said the first speaker. 'Lawk, I never could be a orator.' 'Don't, then,' said the girl. 'You hush, or he'll hear.' Rollo did them justice, as far as not minding anything went. His first action after taking his stand, was to fold his arms and take a somewhat prolonged survey of the company. The quick gray eyes came everywhere; did they know Hazel? It appeared not; for after a few minutes of this silent survey, Rollo bade his audience 'good evening' and began his work.