"Oh, that is worrying him, is it ?" "What is it all about, Father?
Why are they going to strike ?" "Can you answer that, Mrs.Page ?" The Governor turned to Corinna with a sportive gesture, as if he were casting upon her the burden of a reply.
His smile was sketched so faintly about his mouth that it seemed merely to emphasize the gravity of his expression.
"I ?" Corinna looked round with a start of surprise.

"Why, what should I know of it ?" "Then they don't talk about it where you are ?" "Oh, yes, they talk about it a great deal." She appeared to hesitate, and then added with deliberate audacity, "but they think that you know more about it than any one else." He did not smile as he answered her.

"Do they expect the men to strike ?" Though she made a graceful gesture of evasion, she met his question frankly.

"They expect them to, I gather--unless you prevent it." A shade of irritation crossed his features.

"How can I prevent it?
They have a right to stop work." "They seem to think, the people I know, that it depends upon how safe the leaders think it will be." "How safe?
I can't tie their hands, can I ?" "Of course I am only repeating what I hear." She gazed at him with friendly eyes.