piece is examined by one of the overlookers,' whose eye is quick to detect any error of shade or 'bad place.' Defective pieces are thrown out and the manufacturer or dyer, as the case may be, is communicated with regarding them, and the damaged goods have to be taken back or allowed for. Sometimes it is difficult to make out whether a particular defect is the fault of the manufacturer or the dyer, and in this dilemma the merchant leaves them to settle the matter between them. All being correct, however, the pieces are submitted to the operation of measuring. This is not done by means of the yardstick, as the uninitiated might suppose, but by machinery worked by steam. The measuringmachine consists of sundry wheels which set a beam rapidly revolving, carrying with it a piece over a series of tables and rollers marked off into yards. In a few seconds the piece is carried through its whole length, and the youth who 'minds' the machine writes in chalk on the piece the correct number of yards. The pieces, although they are always ordered of certain lengths, vary to some little extent, and all these variations have to be taken into account in settling with the manufacturer. There are also a number of machines which measure and roll the pieces at the same time. These are called 'clock' machines, from the fact that they measure by means of an indicator.

After the pieces have been measured, they are sent to be rolled, and here again special machinery comes into play. A board, the width of the piece, is placed in the grooves of the machine, and as soon as the end of the fabric has been attached to the board the machine is set revolving, and in a very short space of time

the piece is taken out, and neatly and smoothly wrapped in the form in which pieces are seen in the drapers' shops. The work of making and supplying piece-boards is in itself an extensive local trade, and in this warehouse there are thousands of such boards piled up in immense stacks. For some materials and some markets inch boards are required, for others half inch or quarter inch, and some customers have a partiality for certain colours of paper as edgings for the bevelled edges of the boards. Blue edgings are chiefly used, green comes next, and some consumers demand yellow or white edgings. When the pieces have been rolled, they are intrusted to the hands of the persons whose duty it is to affix shields, bands, and tickets to them, and it is surprising what an amount of artistic talent and ingenuity is exercised on behalf of this department. The designing of shields and labels for pieces is an important branch ofindustry, and few more showy or elegant art scrap-books could be got together than is to be seen in the large folio volume in which Messrs. A. & S. Henry & Co. keep their specimen shields, most of them being in actual use by customers, the rest being there for customers to make selections from. For South America and the Indies the designs are of the most fiery description; for the United States, stars and stripes and eagles predominate; and for the Continent and the Home trade, artistic ideas more than patriotic sentiment find vent. Some customers favour shields with portraits of celebrities depicted on them; others prefer floral designs; others again do not think their goods sufficiently attractive unless graced with portraits of national beauties. The quaint device of the three

black crows is appropriately worked up for a certain customer's black goods; and one buyer of Italian cloths thinks it most fitting to show on his shield the emblems of his calling; so the artist has grouped thereon the shears, and all the other best known implements of the tailor's trade. The Peabody Brand' is a proof of another customer's appreciation of philanthropy; and the go-ahead spirit is abundantly symbolised in pictures of railway trains, steamers, balloons, telegraph-wires, and so forth. Royalty naturally comes in for a large share of this pictorial display, the Princess of Wales, perhaps, outstripping all her rivals on this ground. Mottoes are also much affected, Latin and French ones showing scholarship, and terse English proverbs, breathing forth honesty, fair-dealing, and goodwill, serving to express the sentiments supposed to be entertained by the vendors towards the purchasers. The shields, tickets, and bands having been duly affixed, the pieces are now wrapped in paper or glazed calico, and they are ready to be sent out to custo

mers.

The kind of goods thus disposed of are chiefly what are known as stuffs, being produced in the Bradford trade. There is still the woollen department, however, that we ought to take note of. In this section of Messrs. A. & S. Henry & Co.'s business a great change has been introduced during the last few years, since worsted cloths came SO largely into fashion. Woollens of the old substantial sort have been largely superseded by these lighter and, perhaps, more elegant materials, and this firm have done much to develop this branch of business. In their large worsted coating-room there are hundreds

of pieces lying ready for despatching; and the manager of the department possesses a complete record of the history of each piece from the time of its quitting the manufacturer's looms, through every stage of dyeing, finishing, and making-up, until it leaves the warehouse as sold.

There are several other special departments, which we must dismiss by simply mentioning. There is the department devoted to the home fancy trade, where everything is sold by samples, each of which samples, it may be stated, is invariably cut out of the centre of the piece whose class it is to represent. Ladies' cloakings and costume cloths form a considerable item in the business of this department. Then there is the black department, the title of which sufficiently describes it. The most astonishing thing that the outsider observes in this division is the multitude of shades of black that there are. In the room set apart for winceys we meet with signs of a very active trade. Something special in the way of bookmaking is to be found in the sample-room. It is here that all samples are made up into books, according to qualities and colours, and much tasteful work is turned out of this department. There is likewise an index- or referenceroom, wherein are registered samples of every customer's purchases, a strip from each piece that has been sold being retained for three years, so that if any dispute or misunderstanding should arise, the firm have here the means of referring to a tangible record of all business transacted. The greatest use of these sample collections, however, is in their enabling customers by simple reference to a past dealing to repeat any order, or portion of an order, within three years.

The offices and selling-rooms of the establishment occupy the greater portion of the first-floor. It is in these rooms that the buyers and sellers meet for the transaction of business, and where the heads of the house are located. The firm employ but few travellers, their dealings both at home and abroad being mostly with wholesale traders. At the beginning, the Bradford house, like the Manchester establishment, had almost exclusively an American connection; but it rapidly developed, until now it carries on one of the largest home and foreign businesses in the North of England. The amount of correspondence with other countries which is here daily going on is necessarily very large. Every post brings shoals of letters, every hour brings fresh telegrams. It is interesting to inspect a number of cablegrams (as they call them) from America. All telegraphic communication between the firm on this side and their customers or agents in the United States

is conducted by cipher. Two words of such contrary sense as Kangaroo andante' may mean to Messrs. A. & S. Henry & Co., 'Send three hundred pieces of threequarter Italians,' or 'If at thirteen and sixpence send two bales,' as the case may be. By the system thus established, communications running, when translated, to the extent of ninety or a hundred words may be compressed into four or five.

The counting-house, with its little army of clerks, is also on the first-floor, as is also the diningroom, kitchens, &c. Indeed, into whatsoever department one searches, one finds everything on a scale corresponding to the mag nitude of the business.

The firm of A. & S. Henry & Co. will always be remembered for the important part it has played in opening up that vast American trade which, for so many years, was one of the main elements of support to the manufacturing industries of this country.

CHAPTER XXXII.

VENDETTA.

'AT six o'clock I will be on the beach, where the ruined watchtower stands. On receiving the sum I spoke of from your hands, I give you my word to leave here to-night.'

These words, in Linda's writing, reached Gervase on the morThey threw him into the

row.

utmost perplexity.

He had to go over to Naples that day on numerous errands. Already he had determined in his mind to take this occasion of withdrawing a considerable sum from his bankers, to be available to hand over to Bruno Pagano, when and how it should seem most advisable. He was in a liberal mood; ready with a largesse for Linda's brother, or any other poor devil who wanted to buy himself out of a mess. And, however averse he might feel to this second interview with Linda, he found anything preferable to treating with Bruno direct. The idea of having to make the amende honorable to such a fellow was absolutely intolerable to his disposition. It suited his pride better to offer the compensation thus, through a third party-like a government grant, a step involving no apology or personal communication whatever.

With regard to Linda herself, he felt inclined to believe she was tractable, and that he retained sufficient influence to induce her to

leave the place, and leave him in quiet. If she refused-well, was not the remedy in his own hands, and simple? There should be no secret here. His best safety indeed lay in resolving to take no further step in the matter, except with Laurence's perfect knowledge

and sanction.

But he recoiled not a little from the notion and appearance of being forced thus by a worthless woman into doing right against his will, or when and how he did not wish. It was like avowing her hold over the situation, whereas he believed himself to be master of it still. So sure did he feel of his power to avert the present crisis and the instant necessity of any sort of confession. The opportunity was good-on his way back from Naples; he knew the spot exactly. Where the massive bridge crosses the ravine, a steep pathway leads from the heights above to the road, and thence through the brushwood to a bit of lonely shore beneath, where a little martello tower in ruins makes a landmark, and serves as a shelter for fishermen taking their midday nap. The whole affair need not delay him half an hour. The moment came for starting for Naples, and found him still halting between two opinions. Well, he would take time to deliberate en route.

Promise me something,' he said to Laurence as they parted. 'What you will.'

'Not to go out to-day. Or, at