“You don't think there will be any danger?” Fanny said, anxiously, looking at Ellen.
“Oh no, there's no danger for the girls, anyhow. I guess there's enough men to look out for them. There's no need for you to worry, Mrs. Brewster.”
“Mr. Lloyd did not offer to do anything better about the wages?” asked Ellen.
Sargent shook his head.
“Catch him!” said Abby, bitterly.
Ellen had a feeling as if she were smiting in the face that image of Robert which always dwelt in her heart.
“Well,” said Abby, with a mirthless laugh, “there's one thing: according to the Scriptures, it is as hard for the rich man to get into heaven as it is for the poor men to get into their factories.”
“You don't suppose there will be any danger?” Fanny said again, anxiously.
“Danger—no; who's afraid of Amos Lee and a few like him?” cried Abby, contemptuously; “and Nahum Beals is safe. He's going to be tried next month, they say, but they'll make it imprisonment for life, because they think he wasn't in his right mind. If he was here we might be afraid, but there's nobody now that will do anything but talk. I ain't afraid. I'm going to march up to the shop to-morrow morning and go to work, and I'd like to see anybody stop me.”
However, before they left, John Sargent spoke aside with Andrew, and told him of a plan for the returning workmen to meet at the corner of a certain street, and go in a body to the factory, and suggested that there might be pickets posted by the union men, and Andrew resolved to go with Ellen.