'Not since the end of last November,the day before I went to town.'
'My little Wych!' said Rollo, riding close up alongside,'what sort of a year has this been?'
'Very mixed up. Part of the winter was pleasant.'
'The summer?'
'I suppose that was pleasant tooonly I did not enjoy it.'
'Why didn't you come home?'
'The old story,' she said laughing and colouring,'I did not want to come. Mr. Falkirk thinks I never have any other reason to give.'
'Might be a very good reason to give Mr. Falkirk. Now, do you know what you are going to look at?'
'Mill people and mill work.'
'In detail; but in general you are going to see what my friend Mrs. Powder calls "my experiment." A problem of life-work, if you will; the question being, what can be done with fifteen hundred human beings accustomed only to poverty and hard work, to bring them to their nearest attainment of happy and useful living.'