V.
THE GLASS-BLOWERS.
The gaffer led the way into a spacious building,
full of strange lights and flames and human life. Furnaces were glowing;
men and boys were at work before the fires, or darting to and fro; some
were blowing fiery bubbles, which put to shame all the soap-bubbles in
the world; there were noises like the reports of pocket-pistols, and sounds
of clanging iron, where boys were knocking off cold glass from the ends of
iron rods into small sheet-iron carriages.
Altogether the scene was so dazzling and confusing
that Lawrence at first thought there was little chance of his learning any
more about glass-making here than he knew already. First, one had a bubble,
then another had it; then it had disappeared, and the man who he thought
had it was quietly at work on a lamp-chimney or a goblet, while he knew no
more how he came by it then if it had been produced by magic.
"It is magic!" he exclaimed.
"That was, in old times, the popular notion with
regard to glass-making; and I believe glass-blowers rather favored the
superstition," said the Doctor.
"They used to dress in the skins of beasts, to
protect themselves from the heat, when they were setting the pots in the
furnaces," said the gaffer; "and they
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