“Nothing would give us greater pleasure than such a proof of your confidence,” replied Burnham.
“And we can assure you beforehand,” said Villard, “of our hearty co-operation.”
No one but Salome noticed that her aunt had quietly slipped away when she spoke of her plan. Mrs. Soule did not care to hear Salome “talk shop.”
“In the first place,” Salome began, “are the mills all they should be? Are they well lighted, aired and drained? Is the machinery such as to benefit both the operators and the business interests of the mills?”
“No, they are not quite up to modern standards,” Villard replied, promptly.
“I don’t know,” pursued Burnham, “but they are quite as good as the average. There are many worse mills than the Shawsheen.”
“That isn’t the point,” Salome replied. “Are there any better? Or are they capable of improvement?”
“Well, yes, if you don’t consider expense,” assented Burnham.
“Are they well-lighted? Are their sanitary conditions good?”
“They are very well-lighted indeed,” said Villard; “your grandfather built much in advance of his time, and the mills are all light and strong. But they need better ventilation in cold weather; and, as you know, sanitary science in Newbern Shepard’s day was hardly up to modern demands.”