the ragged trousered philanthropists-第80章

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At　this；　everybody　brightened　up　again；　and　exchanged　looks　of　satisfaction　and　relief。　　Of　course！　　It　wasn't　necessary　to　think　about　these　things　at　all！　　Nothing　could　ever　be　altered：　it　had　always　been　more　or　less　the　same；　and　it　always　would　be。

‘It　seems　to　me　that　you　all　HOPE　it　is　impossible　to　alter　it；'　said　Owen。　　‘Without　trying　to　find　out　whether　it　could　be　done；　you　persuade　yourselves　that　it　is　impossible；　and　then；　instead　of　being　sorry；　you're　glad！'

Some　of　them　laughed　in　a　silly；　half…ashamed　way。

‘How　do　YOU　reckon　it　could　be　altered？'　said　Harlow。

‘The　way　to　alter　it　is；　first　to　enlighten　the　people　as　to　the　real　cause　of　their　sufferings；　and　then　…'

‘Well；'　interrupted　Crass；　with　a　self…satisfied　chuckle；　‘it'll　take　a　better　bloody　man　than　you　to　enlighten　ME！'

‘I　don't　want　to　be　henlightened　into　Darkness！'　said　Slyme　piously。

‘But　what　sort　of　System　do　you　propose；　then？'　repeated　Harlow。

‘After　you've　got　'em　all　enlightened　…　if　you　don't　believe　in　sharing　out　all　the　money　equal；　how　ARE　you　goin'　to　alter　it？'

‘I　don't　know　'ow　'e's　goin'　to　alter　it；'　sneered　Crass；　looking　at　his　watch　and　standing　up；　‘but　I　do　know　what　the　time　is　…　two　minits　past　one！'

‘The　next　lecture；'　said　Philpot；　addressing　the　meeting　as　they　all　prepared　to　return　to　work；　‘the　next　lecture　will　be　postponded　till　tomorrer　at　the　usual　time；　when　it　will　be　my　painful　dooty　to　call　upon　Mr　Owen　to　give　'is　well…known　and　most　hobnoxious　address　entitled　〃Work　and　how　to　avoid　it。〃　　Hall　them　as　wants　to　be　henlightened　kindly　attend。'

‘Or　hall　them　as　don't　get　the　sack　tonight；'　remarked　Easton　grimly。



Chapter　26

The　Slaughter


During　the　afternoon；　Rushton　and　Sweater　visited　the　house；　the　latter　having　an　appointment　to　meet　there　a　gardener　to　whom　be　wished　to　give　instructions　concerning　the　laying　out　of　the　grounds；　which　had　been　torn　up　for　the　purpose　of　putting　in　the　new　drains。　Sweater　had　already　arranged　with　the　head　gardener　of　the　public　park　to　steal　some　of　the　best　plants　from　that　place　and　have　them　sent　up　to　‘The　Cave'。　　These　plants　had　been　arriving　in　small　lots　for　about　a　week。　　They　must　have　been　brought　there　either　in　the　evening　after　the　men　left　off　or　very　early　in　the　morning　before　they　came。　　The　two　gentlemen　remained　at　the　house　for　about　half　an　hour　and　as　they　went　away　the　mournful　sound　of　the　Town　Hall　bell　…　which　was　always　tolled　to　summon　meetings　of　the　Council　…　was　heard　in　the　distance；　and　the　hands　remarked　to　each　other　that　another　robbery　was　about　to　be　perpetrated。

Hunter　did　not　come　to　the　job　again　that　day：　he　had　been　sent　by　Rushton　to　price　some　work　for　which　the　firm　was　going　to　tender　an　estimate。　　There　was　only　one　person　who　felt　any　regret　at　his　absence；　and　that　was　Mrs　White　…　Bert's　mother；　who　had　been　working　at　‘The　Cave'　for　several　days；　scrubbing　the　floors。　　As　a　rule；　Hunter　paid　her　wages　every　night；　and　on　this　occasion　she　happened　to　need　the　money　even　more　than　usual。　　As　leaving　off　time　drew　near；　she　mentioned　the　matter　to　Crass；　who　advised　her　to　call　at　the　office　on　her　way　home　and　ask　the　young　lady　clerk　for　the　money。　As　Hunter　did　not　appear；　she　followed　the　foreman's　advice。

When　she　reached　the　shop　Rushton　was　just　coming　out。　　She　explained　to　him　what　she　wanted　and　he　instructed　Mr　Budd　to　tell　Miss　Wade　to　pay　her。　　The　shopman　accordingly　escorted　her　to　the　office　at　the　back　of　the　shop；　and　the　young　lady　book…keeper　…　after　referring　to　former　entries　to　make　quite　certain　of　the　amount；　paid　her　the　sum　that　Hunter　had　represented　as　her　wages；　the　same　amount　that　Miss　Wade　had　on　the　previous　occasions　given　him　to　pay　the　charwoman。　When　Mrs　White　got　outside　she　found　that　she　held　in　her　hand　half　a　crown　instead　of　the　two　shillings　she　usually　received　from　Mr　Hunter。　　At　first　she　felt　inclined　to　take　it　back；　but　after　some　hesitation　she　thought　it　better　to　wait　until　she　saw　Hunter；　when　she　could　tell　him　about　it；　but　the　next　morning　when　she　saw　the　disciple　at　‘The　Cave'　he　broached　the　subject　first；　and　told　her　that　Miss　Wade　had　made　a　mistake。　　And　that　evening　when　he　paid　her；　he　deducted　the　sixpence　from　the　usual　two　shillings。

The　lecture　announced　by　Philpot　was　not　delivered。　　Anxiously　awaiting　the　impending　slaughter　the　men　kept　tearing　into　it　as　usual；　for　they　generally　keep　working　in　the　usual　way；　each　one　trying　to　outdo　the　others　so　as　not　to　lose　his　chance　of　being　one　of　the　lucky　one　。。。

Misery　now　went　round　and　informed　all　the　men　with　the　exception　of　Crass；　Owen；　Slyme　and　Sawkins　…　that　they　would　have　to　stand　off　that　night。　　He　told　them　that　the　firm　had　several　jobs　in　view　…　work　they　had　tendered　for　and　hoped　to　get；　and　said　they　could　look　round　after　Christmas　and　he　might　…　possibly　…　be　able　to　start　some　of　them　again。　　They　would　be　paid　at　the　office　tomorrow　…　Saturday　…　at　one　o'clock　as　usual；　but　if　any　of　them　wished　they　could　have　their　money　tonight。　　The　men　thanked　him；　and　most　of　them　said　they　would　come　for　their　wages　at　the　usual　pay…time；　and　would　call　round　as　he　suggested；　after　the　holidays；　to　see　if　there　was　anything　to　do。

In　all；　fifteen　men　…　including　Philpot；　Harlow；　Easton　and　Ned　Dawson；　were　to　‘stand　off'　that　night。　　They　took　their　dismissal　stolidly；　without　any　remark；　some　of　them　even　with　an　affectation　of　indifference；　but　there　were　few　attempts　at　conversation　afterwards。　The　little　work　that　remained　to　be　done　they　did　in　silence；　every　man　oppressed　by　the　same　terror　…　the　dread　of　the　impending　want；　the　privation　and　unhappiness　that　they　knew　they　and　their　families　would　have　to　suffer　during　the　next　few　months。

Bundy　and　his　mate　Dawson　were　working　in　the　kitchen　fixing　the　new　range　in　place　of　the　old　one　which　they　had　taken　out。　　They　had　been　engaged　on　this　job　all　day；　and　their　hands　and　faces　and　clothes　were　covered　with　soot；　which　they　had　also　contrived　to　smear　and　dab　all　over　the　surfaces　of　the　doors　and　other　woodwork　in　the　room；　much　to　the　indignation　of　Crass　and　Slyme；　who　had　to　wash　it　all　off　before　they　could　put　on　the　final　coat　of　paint。

‘You　can't　help　makin'　a　little　mess　on　a　job　of　this　kind；　you　know；'　remarked　Bundy；　as　he　was　giving　the　finishing　touches　to　the　work；　making　good　the　broken　parts　of　the　wall　with　cement；　whilst　his　mate　was　clearing　away　the　debris。

‘Yes；　but　there's　no　need　to　claw　'old　of　the　bloody　doors　every　time　you　goes　in　and　out；'　snarled　Crass；　‘and　you　could　'ave　put　yer　tools　on　the　floor　instead　of　makin'　a　bench　of　the　dresser。'

‘You　can　'ave　the　bloody　place　all　to　yerself　in　about　five　minutes；'　replied　Bundy；　as　he　assisted　to　lift　a　sack　of　cement　weighing　about　two　hundredweight　on　to　Dawson's　buck。　　‘We're　finished　now。'

When　they　had　cleared　away　all　the　dirt　and　fragments　of　bricks　and　mortar；　while　Crass　and　Slyme　proceeded　with　the　painting；　Bundy　and　Dawson　loaded　up　their　hand…cart　with　the　old　range　and　the　bags　of　unused　cement　and　plaster；　which　they　took　back　to　the　yard。　Meantime；　Misery　was　wandering　about　the　house　and　pounds　like　an　evil　spirit　seeking　rest　and　finding　none。　　He　stood　for　some　time　gloomily　watching　the　four　gardeners；　who　were　busily　at　work　laying　strips　of　turf；　mowing　the　lawn；　rolling　the　gravel　paths　and　trimming　the　trees　and　bushes。　　The　boy　Bert；　Philpot；　Harlow；　Easton　and　Sawkins　were　loading　a　hand…cart　with　ladders　and　empty　paint…pots　to　return　to　the　yard。　Just　as　they　were　setting　out；　Misery　stopped　them；　remarking　that　the　cart　was　not　half　loaded　…　he　said　it　would　take　a　month　to　get　all　the　stuff　away　if　they　went　on　like　that；　so　by　his　directions　they　placed　another　long　ladder　on　top　of　the　pile　and　once　more　started　on　their　way；　but　before　they　had　gone　two　dozen　yards　one　of　the　wheels　of　the　cart　collapsed　and　the　load　was　scattered　over　the　roadway。　　Bert　was　at　the　same　side　of　the　cart　as　the　wheel　that　broke　and　he　was　thrown　violently　to　the　ground；　where　he　lay　half　stunned；　in　the　midst　of　the　ladders　and　planks。　　When　they　got　him　out　they　were