In the same way Clyde, on encountering her, was greatly stirred. Since the abortive contact with Dillard, Rita andZella, and afterwards the seemingly meaningless invitation to the Griffiths with its introduction to and yet onlypassing glimpse of such personages as Bella, Sondra Finchley and Bertine Cranston, he was lonely indeed. Thathigh world! But plainly he was not to be allowed to share in it. And yet because of his vain hope in connectionwith it, he had chosen to cut himself off in this way. And to what end? Was he not if anything more lonely thanever? Mrs. Peyton! Going to and from his work but merely nodding to people or talking casually--or howeversociably with one or another of the storekeepers along Central Avenue who chose to hail him--or even some ofthe factory girls here in whom he was not interested or with whom he did not dare to develop a friendship. Whatwas that? Just nothing really. And yet as an offset to all this, of course, was he not a Griffiths and so entitled totheir respect and reverence even on this account? What a situation really! What to do!

　　And at the same time, this Roberta Alden, once she was placed here in this fashion and becoming more familiarwith local conditions, as well as the standing of Clyde, his charm, his evasive and yet sensible interest in her, wasbecoming troubled as to her state too. For once part and parcel of this local home she had joined she wasbecoming conscious of various local taboos and restrictions which made it seem likely that never at any timehere would it be possible to express an interest in Clyde or any one above her officially. For there was a localtaboo in regard to factory girls aspiring toward or allowing themselves to become interested in their officialsuperiors. Religious, moral and reserved girls didn't do it. And again, as she soon discovered, the line ofdemarcation and stratification between the rich and the poor in Lycurgus was as sharp as though cut by a knife ordivided by a high wall. And another taboo in regard to all the foreign family girls and men,--ignorant, low,immoral, un-American! One should--above all--have nothing to do with them.

　　But among these people as she could see--the religious and moral, lower middle-class group to which she and allof her intimates belonged--dancing or local adventurous gayety, such as walking the streets or going to a movingpicture theater--was also taboo. And yet she, herself, at this time, was becoming interested in dancing. Worsethan this, the various young men and girls of the particular church which she and Grace Marr attended at first,were not inclined to see Roberta or Grace as equals, since they, for the most part, were members of older andmore successful families of the town. And so it was that after a very few weeks of attendance of church affairsand services, they were about where they had been when they started--conventional and acceptable, but withoutthe amount of entertainment and diversion which was normally reaching those who were of their same churchbut better placed.

　　And so it was that Roberta, after encountering Clyde and sensing the superior world in which she imagined hemoved, and being so taken with the charm of his personality, was seized with the very virus of ambition andunrest that afflicted him. And every day that she went to the factory now she could not help but feel that his eyeswere upon her in a quiet, seeking and yet doubtful way. Yet she also felt that he was too uncertain as to what shewould think of any overture that he might make in her direction to risk a repulse or any offensive interpretationon her part. And yet at times, after the first two weeks of her stay here, she wishing that he would speak to her- that he would make some beginning--at other times that he must not dare--that it would be dreadful andimpossible. The other girls there would see at once. And since they all plainly felt that he was too good or tooremote for them, they would at once note that he was making an exception in her case and would put their owninterpretation on it. And she knew the type of a girl who worked in the Griffiths stamping room would put butone interpretation on it,--that of looseness.

　　At the same time in so far as Clyde and his leaning toward her was concerned there was that rule laid down byGilbert. And although, because of it, he had hitherto appeared not to notice or to give any more attention to onegirl than another, still, once Roberta arrived, he was almost unconsciously inclined to drift by her table and pausein her vicinity to see how she was progressing. And, as he saw from the first, she was a quick and intelligentworker, soon mastering without much advice of any kind all the tricks of the work, and thereafter earning aboutas much as any of the others-- fifteen dollars a week. And her manner was always that of one who enjoyed it andwas happy to have the privilege of working here. And pleased to have him pay any little attention to her.

　　At the same time he noted to his surprise and especially since to him she seemed so refined and different, acertain exuberance and gayety that was not only emotional, but in a delicate poetic way, sensual. Also thatdespite her difference and reserve she was able to make friends with and seemed to be able to understand theviewpoint of most of the foreign girls who were essentially so different from her. For, listening to her discuss thework here, first with Lena Schlict, Hoda Petkanas, Angelina Pitti and some others who soon chose to speak toher, he reached the conclusion that she was not nearly so conventional or standoffish as most of the otherAmerican girls. And yet she did not appear to lose their respect either.

　　Thus, one noontime, coming back from the office lunch downstairs a little earlier than usual, he found her andseveral of the foreign-family girls, as well as four of the American girls, surrounding Polish Mary, one of thegayest and roughest of the foreign-family girls, who was explaining in rather a high key how a certain "feller"whom she had met the night before had given her a beaded bag, and for what purpose.

　　"I should go with heem to be his sweetheart," she announced with a flourish, the while she waved the bag beforethe interested group. "And I say, I tack heem an' think on heem. Pretty nice bag, eh?" she added, holding it aloftand turning it about. "Tell me," she added with provoking and yet probably only mock ser............