"The boss," she answered. "The man--"

He tightened his grip, in his frenzy, and only when he
saw her eyes closing did he realize that he was choking
her. Then he relaxed his fingers, and crouched, waiting,
until she opened her lids again. His breath beat hot into
her face.

"Tell me," he whispered, at last, "tell me about it."

She lay perfectly motionless, and he had to hold his
breath to catch her words. "I did not want -- to do it,"
she said; "I tried -- I tried not to do it. I only did it
-- to save us. It was our only chance."

Again, for a space, there was no sound but his panting.
Ona's eyes closed and when she spoke again she did not
open them. "He told me -- he would have me turned
off. He told me he would -- we would all of us lose our
places. We could never get anything to do -- here --
again. He -- he meant it -- he would have ruined us."

Jurgis's arms were shaking so that he could scarcely
hold himself up, and lurched forward now and then
as he listened. "When -- when did this begin?" he
gasped.

"At the very first," she said. She spoke as if in a
trance. "It was all -- it was their plot -- Miss Hender~
son's plot. She hated me. And he -- he wanted me.
He used to speak to me -- out on the platform. Then he
began to -- to make love to me. He offered me money.
He begged me -- he said he loved me. Then he threat~
ened me. He knew all about us, he knew we would
starve. He knew your boss -- he knew Marija's. He
would hound us to death, he said -- then he said if I
would -- if I -- we would all of us be sure of work --
always. Then one day he caught hold of me -- he would
not let go -- he -- he--"

"Where was this?"

"In the hallway -- at night -- after everyone had gone.
I could not help it. I thought of you -- of the baby -- of
mother and the children. I was afraid of him -- afraid to
cry out."

A moment ago her face had been ashen gray, now it was

[[179]]

p178 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p179w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p180

v?