low from any one of which must have crushed
some workman's skull, a number of men laboured like giants. Others,
reposing upon heaps of coals or ashes, with their faces turned to the
black vault above, slept or rested from their toil. Others again,
opening the white-hot furnace-doors, cast fuel on the flames, which
came rushing and roaring forth to meet it, and licked it up like oil.
Others drew forth, with clashing noise, upon the ground, great sheets
of glowing steel, emitting an insupportable heat, and a dull deep light
like that which reddens in the eyes of savage beasts.

Through these bewildering sights and deafening sounds, their conductor
led them to where, in a dark portion of the building, one furnace burnt
by night and day--so, at least, they gathered from the motion of his
lips, for as yet they could only see him speak: not hear him. The man
who had been watching this fire, and whose task was ended for the
present, gladly withdrew, and left them with their friend, who,
spreading Nell's little cloak upon a heap of ashes, and showing her
where she could hang her outer-clothes to dry, signed to her and the
old man to lie down and sleep. For himself, he took his station on a
rugged mat before the furnace-door, and resting his chin upon his
hands, watched the flame as it shone through the iron chinks, and the
white ashes as they fell into their bright hot grave below.

The warmth of her bed, hard and humble as it was, combined with the
great fatigue she had undergone, soon caused the tumult of the place to
fall with a gentler sound upon the child's tired ears, and was not long
in lulling her to sleep. The old man was stretched beside her, and
with her hand upon his neck she lay and dreamed.

It was yet night when she awoke, nor did she know how long, or for how
short a time, she had slept. But she found herself protected, both
from any cold air that might find its way into the building, and from
the scorching heat, by some of the workmen's clothes; and glancing at
their friend saw that he sat in exactly the same attitude, looking with
a fixed earnestness of attention towards the fire, and keeping so very
still that he did not even seem to breathe. She lay in the state
between sleeping and waking, looking so long at his motionless figure
that at length she almost feared he had died as he sat there; and
softly rising and drawing close to him, ventured to whisper in his ear.

He moved, and glancing from her