The Opposite House: A Novel — page 23: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

18 Lhe Opposite House. mistakes and neglect ; wherever he turned, the work towered mountain high, and letters from creditors were heaped in packages upon the desk. The mills consisted of anumber of houses located at the end of the suburb. A large, square court- yard formed the center, surrounded by the homes of the laborers and the mill hands, whose lower stories contained the work-rooms, and closed on the east by the superintendent’s house. ‘The employees were incited to open rebellion by this superintendent’s representations. ‘““Who dares to contradict me here?” asked Ger- rald’s calm voice, rising above the murmurs of the men, who refused to work if any attempt was made to deprive them of their usual customs and privileges. The rough figures pressed nearer to the young owner, who, leaning against the railing of the bridge over the mill-stream, fixed his stern eyes upon them. “T!” shouted the superintendent. ‘‘ We will not receive orders from a young man who scarcely knows himself how the work here is carried on. You have no idea of the business, Herr Gerrald, but you act as though we were all stupid apprentices compared with you, and must be intimidated and silenced by insolence. Donotimagine that you can accomplish anything of the sort with us! It is a CoOMmicbooOoks.€©