come," said Risley.

"Yes," replied Robert. "Going back to our first subject--"

Risley laughed. "Here she is coming," he said.

In fact, at that moment they came abreast the street that led to the
factories, and the six-o'clock whistle was just dying away in a long
reverberation, and the workmen pouring out of the doors and down the
stairs. Ellen had moved quickly, for she had an errand at the
grocery-store before she went home. She was going to get some
oysters for a hot stew for supper, of which her father was very
fond. She had a little oyster-can in her hand when she met the two
gentlemen. She had grown undeniably thinner since summer, but she
was charming. Her short black skirt and her coarse gray jacket
fitted her as well as if they had been tailor-made. There was
nothing tawdry or slatternly about her. She looked every inch a
lady, even with the drawback of an oyster-can, and mittens instead
of gloves.

Both Risley and Robert raised their hats, and Ellen bowed. She did
not smile, but her face contracted curiously, and her color
obviously paled. Risley looked at Robert after they had passed.

"I have called on her twice," said Robert, as if answering a
question. His relations with the older man had become very close,
almost like those of father and son, though Risley was hardly old
enough for that relation.

"And you haven't been since she went to work?"

"No."

"But you would have, had she gone to college instead of going to
work in a shoe-factory?" Risley's voice had a tone of the gentlest
conceivable sarcasm.

Robert colored. "Yes, I suppose so," he said. Then he turned to
Risley with a burst of utter frankness. "Hang it! old fellow," he
said, "you know how I have been brought up; you know how she--you
know all about it. What is a fellow to do?"

"Do what he pleases. If it would please me to call on that splendid
young thing, I should call if I were the Czar of all the Russias."

"Well, I will call," said Robert.

Chapter XXXVIII

The very next evening Robert Lloyd went to call on Ellen. As he
started out he was conscious of a strange sensation of shock, as if
his feet had suddenly touched firm ground. All these months since
Ellen had been working in the factory he had been vacillating. He
was undoubtedly in love with her; he did not for a moment cheat
himself as to that. When he caught a glimpse of her fair head among
the other girls, he realized how unspeakably dear she was to him