by H G Wells

The night was hot and overcast, the sky red-rimmed lingering sunset of midsummer They sat open window, trying to fancy the air was fresher there The trees and shrubs garden stood stiff and dark; beyond roadway gas-lamp burnt, bright orange against the hazy blue evening Farther were the three lights railway signal against the lowering sky The man and woman spoke to one another in low tones

" suspect ? " said the man, little nervously

"Not he," she said peevishly, that too irritated her "He thinks of nothing but the works prices of fuel He has no imagination, no poetry "

"None men of iron have," sententiously " no hearts "

"_He ," she said She turned her discontented face towards the window The distant sound of roaring and rushing drew nearer and grew in volume; the house quivered; one heard the metallic rattle tender train passed, glare of light above the cutting and driving tumult of smoke; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight black oblongs--eight trucks--passed across the dim grey embankment, and were suddenly extinguished one by one throat tunnel, which, last, seemed to swallow down train, smoke, and sound in one abrupt gulp

"This country was all fresh and beautiful once," ; "and now-- Gehenna Down that way--nothing but pot-banks and chimneys belching fire and dust face of heaven . But what does it matter ? An end comes, an end to all this cruelty . To-morrow " He spoke the last word in whisper

"_To-morrow," she said, speaking in whisper too, and still staring window

"Dear ! " , putting his hand on hers

She turned with start, and their eyes searched one another's Hers softened gaze "My dear one ! " she said, and then: "It seems so strange--that come into my life like this--to open--" She paused

"To open ? "

"All this wonderful world"--she hesitated, and spoke still more softly-- "this world of love "

Then suddenly the door clicked and closed They turned their heads, and he started violently back shadow room stood great shadowy figure-silent They saw the face dimly half-light, with unexpressive dark patches under the pent-house brows Every muscle in Raut's body suddenly became tense When could the door have opened ? What had he heard ? Had he heard all ? What had he seen ? tumult of questions

The new-comer's voice came at last, after pause that seemed interminable "Well ? "

" afraid I had missed you, Horrocks," said the man window, gripping the window-ledge hand His voice was unsteady

The clumsy figure of Horrocks came forward shadow no answer to Raut's remark For moment he stood above them

The woman's heart was cold within her " Mr Raut just possible come back," she said in voice that never quivered

Horrocks, still silent, sat down abruptly chair by her little work-table His big hands were clenched; one saw now the fire eyes under the shadow brows trying his breath His eyes went woman he had trusted friend he had trusted, and then back woman

and moment all three half understood one another Yet none dared say word to ease the pent-up things that choked them

It husband's voice that broke the silence at last

" me ? " to Raut

Raut started as he spoke " you," , resolved to lie last

"Yes," said Horrocks

"You promised," said Raut, "to show me some fine effects of moonlight and smoke "

"I promised to show you some fine effects of moonlight and smoke," repeated Horrocks in colourless voice

"And catch you to-night went down works," proceeded Raut, "and come "

another pause Did the man mean to thing coolly ? Did he, after all, know ? How long had he been room ? Yet even moment heard the door, their attitudes . Horrocks glanced profile woman, shadowy pallid half-light Then he glanced at Raut, and seemed to recover himself suddenly " ," , "I promised to show you the works under their proper dramatic conditions It's odd how forgotten "

"If troubling you--" began Raut

Horrocks started again new light had suddenly come sultry gloom eyes "Not least "

" been telling Mr Raut of all these contrasts of flame and shadow so splendid ? " said the woman, turning now to her husband first time, her confidence creeping back again, her voice just one half-note too high--"that dreadful theory of yours that machinery is beautiful, and everything else ugly spare you, Mr Raut It's his great theory, his one discovery in art "

" slow discoveries," said Horrocks grimly, damping her suddenly "But what I discover . " He stopped

"Well ? " she said

"Nothing;" and suddenly he rose feet

"I promised to show you the works," to Raut, and put his big, clumsy hand friend's shoulder "And ready ? "

"Quite," said Raut, and stood up also

another pause Each peered indistinctness dusk other two

Horrocks' hand still rested on Raut's shoulder Raut half fancied still incident was trivial after all But Mrs Horrocks knew her husband better, knew that grim quiet voice, confusion in her mind took vague shape of physical evil " ," said Horrocks, and, dropping his hand, turned towards the door

"My hat ? " Raut looked round half-light

"That's my work-basket," said Mrs Horrocks with gust of hysterical laughter Their hands came together back chair "Here ! " She had an impulse to warn him in an undertone, but frame word "Don't go ! " and "Beware of him ! " struggled in her mind, swift moment passed

"Got it ? " said Horrocks, standing door half open

Raut stepped towards him "Better say goodbye to Mrs Horrocks," said the ironmaster, even more grimly quiet tone than before

Raut started and turned "Good-evening, Mrs Horrocks," , and their hands touched

Horrocks held the door open with ceremonial politeness unusual in him towards men Raut went out, and then, after wordless look at her, her husband followed She stood motionless while Raut's light footfall and her husband's heavy tread, like bass and treble, passed down the passage together The front door slammed heavily She went window, moving slowly, and stood watching, leaning forward The two men appeared for moment gateway road, passed under the street lamp, and were hidden black masses shrubbery The lamplight fell for moment on their faces, showing only unmeaning pale patches, telling nothing of what she still feared, and doubted, and craved vainly Then she sank down into crouching attitude big arm-chair, her eyes-wide open and staring out red lights furnaces that flickered sky An hour after she was still there, her attitude scarcely changed

The oppressive stillness evening weighed heavily upon Raut They went side by side down the road in silence, and in silence turned cinder-made byway that presently opened out the prospect valley

blue haze, half dust, half mist, touched the long valley with mystery Beyond were Hanley and Etruria, grey and dark masses, outlined thinly rare golden dots street lamps, and here and there gas-lit window, or the yellow glare of some late-working factory or crowded public-house masses, clear and slender against the evening sky, rose multitude of tall chimneys, reeking, few smokeless during season of "play " Here and there pallid patch and ghostly stunted beehive shapes showed the position of pot-bank or wheel, black and sharp against the hot lower sky, marked some colliery where they raise the iridescent coal place Nearer at hand broad stretch of railway, and half-invisible trains shunted--a steady puffing and rumbling, with every run ringing concussion and rhymthic series of impacts, and passage of intermittent puffs of white steam across the further view And left, railway dark mass low hill beyond, dominating the whole view, colossal, inky-black, and crowned with smoke and fitful flames, stood the great cylinders Jeddah Company Blast Furnaces, the central edifices big ironworks Horrocks manager They stood heavy and threatening, full of an incessant turmoil of flames and seething molten iron, and feet rattled the rolling-mills, steam-hammer beat heavily and splashed the white iron sparks hither and thither Even looked, truckful of fuel was shot into giants, red flames gleamed out, and confusion of smoke and black dust came boiling upwards towards the sky

"Certainly you get some colour with your furnaces," said Raut, breaking silence that had become apprehensive

Horrocks grunted He stood hands pockets, frowning down dim steaming railway busy ironworks beyond, frowning he were thinking out some knotty problem

Raut glanced at him and away again "At present your moonlight effect is hardly ripe," he continued, looking upward; "the moon is still smothered vestiges of daylight "

Horrocks stared at him expression of man who has suddenly awakened "Vestiges of daylight ? . , " He too looked up moon, pale still midsummer sky "Come along," suddenly, and gripping Raut's arm hand, made move towards the path that dropped railway

Raut hung back Their eyes met and saw thousand things in moment that their lips came near Horrocks's hand tightened and then relaxed He let go, and before Raut was aware of it, they were arm in arm, and walking, one unwillingly enough, down the path

" the fine effect railway signals towards Burslem," said Horrocks, suddenly breaking into loquacity, striding fast and tightening the grip elbow the while--"little green lights and red and white lights, all against the haze an eye for effect, Raut It's fine And look at those furnaces , how they rise upon us come down the hill That right is my pet--seventy feet of him I packed him myself, and he's boiled away cheerfully with iron guts for five long years I've particular fancy for him That line of red there--a lovely bit of warm orange you'd call it, Raut--that's the puddlers' furnaces, and there, hot light, three black figures--did the white splash steam-hammer then ? --that's the rolling mills Come along ! Clang, clatter, how it goes rattling across the floor ! Sheet tin, Raut,--amazing stuff Glass mirrors stuff comes mill And, squelch ! there goes the hammer again Come along ! "