Its monotony compelled some countervailing stimulus, and as they
had never been educated to care for anything in particular, they
found the necessary relief in sensuality. At first they "chaffed"
and worried me a good deal because of my silence, but at last they
began to think I was "religious," and then they ceased to torment me.
I rather encouraged them in the belief that I had a right to
exemption from their conversation, and I passed, I believe, for a
Plymouth brother. The only thing which they could not comprehend was
that I made no attempt to convert them.
The whole establishment was under the rule of a deputy-manager, who
was the terror of the place. He was tall, thin, and suffered
occasionally from spitting of blood, brought on no doubt from
excitement. He was the strangest mixture of exactitude and passion.
He had complete mastery over every detail of the business, and he
never blundered. All his work was thorough, down to the very bottom,
and he had the most intolerant hatred of everything which was loose
and inaccurate. He never passed a day without flaming out into oaths
and curses against his subordinates, and they could not say in his
wildest fury that his ravings were beside the mark.
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