the ragged trousered philanthropists-第112节

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ense　enough　to　understand　that　they　had　been　finally　defeated　and　obliterated　last　Tuesday　evening：　and　when　the　cyclist　with　the　bandaged　head　got　up　on　the　hillock　some　of　the　crowd　actually　joined　in　the　hand…clapping　with　which　the　Socialists　greeted　him。

In　the　course　of　his　speech　he　informed　them　that　the　man　who　had　come　with　the　van　and　who　had　been　felled　whilst　attempting　to　speak　from　the　platform　was　now　in　hospital。　　For　some　time　it　had　been　probable　that　he　would　not　recover；　but　he　was　now　out　of　danger；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　well　enough　there　was　no　doubt　that　he　would　come　there　again。

Upon　this　Crass　shouted　out　that　if　ever　the　Vanners　did　return；　they　would　finish　what　they　had　begun　last　Tuesday。　　He　would　not　get　off　so　easy　next　time。　　But　when　he　said　this；　Crass　…　not　being　able　to　see　into　the　future　…　did　not　know　what　the　reader　will　learn　in　due　time；　that　the　man　was　to　return　to　that　place　under　different　circumstances。

When　they　had　finished　their　speech…making　one　of　the　strangers　who　was　acting　as　chairman　invited　the　audience　to　put　questions；　but　as　nobody　wanted　to　ask　any；　he　invited　anyone　who　disagreed　with　what　had　been　said　to　get　up　on　the　hillock　and　state　his　objections；　so　that　the　audience　might　have　an　opportunity　of　judging　for　themselves　which　side　was　right；　but　this　invitation　was　also　neglected。　　Then　the　chairman　announced　that　they　were　coming　there　again　next　Sunday　at　the　same　time；　when　a　comrade　would　speak　on　‘Unemployment　and　Poverty；　the　Cause　and　the　Remedy'；　and　then　the　strangers　sang　a　song　called　‘England　Arise'；　the　first　verse　being：

　　　　　　　　England　Arise；　the　long；　long　night　is　over；　　　　　　　　　Faint　in　the　east；　behold　the　Dawn　appear　　　　　　　　　Out　of　your　evil　dream　of　toil　and　sorrow　　　　　　　　　Arise；　O　England！　for　the　day　is　here！

During　the　progress　of　the　meeting　several　of　the　strangers　had　been　going　out　amongst　the　crowd　giving　away　leaflets；　which　many　of　the　people　gloomily　refused　to　accept；　and　selling　penny　pamphlets；　of　which　they　managed　to　dispose　of　about　three　dozen。

Before　declaring　the　meeting　closed；　the　chairman　said　that　the　speaker　who　was　coming　next　week　resided　in　London：　he　was　not　a　millionaire；　but　a　workman；　the　same　as　nearly　all　those　who　were　there　present。　　They　were　not　going　to　pay　him　anything　for　coming；　but　they　intended　to　pay　his　railway　fare。　　Therefore　next　Sunday　after　the　meeting　there　would　be　a　collection；　and　anything　over　the　amount　of　the　fare　would　be　used　for　the　purchase　of　more　leaflets　such　as　those　they　were　now　giving　away。　　He　hoped　that　anyone　who　thought　that　any　of　the　money　went　into　the　pockets　of　those　who　held　the　meeting　would　come　and　join：　then　they　could　have　their　share。

The　meeting　now　terminated　and　the　Socialists　were　suffered　to　depart　in　peace。　　Some　of　them；　however；　lingered　amongst　the　crowd　after　the　main　body　had　departed；　and　for　a　long　time　after　the　meeting　was　over　little　groups　remained　on　the　field　excitedly　discussing　the　speeches　or　the　leaflets。

The　next　Sunday　evening　when　the　Socialists　came　they　found　the　field　at　the　Cross　Roads　in　the　possession　of　a　furious；　hostile　mob；　who　refused　to　allow　them　to　speak；　and　finally　they　had　to　go　away　without　having　held　a　meeting。　　They　came　again　the　next　Sunday；　and　on　this　occasion　they　had　a　speaker　with　a　very　loud　…　literally　a　stentorian　…　voice；　and　he　succeeded　in　delivering　an　address；　but　as　only　those　who　were　very　close　were　able　to　hear　him；　and　as　they　were　all　Socialists；　it　was　not　of　much　effect　upon　those　for　whom　it　was　intended。

They　came　again　the　next　Sunday　and　nearly　every　other　Sunday　during　the　summer：　sometimes　they　were　permitted　to　hold　their　meeting　in　comparative　peace　and　at　other　times　there　was　a　row。　　They　made　several　converts；　and　many　people　declared　themselves　in　favour　of　some　of　the　things　advocated；　but　they　were　never　able　to　form　a　branch　of　their　society　there；　because　nearly　all　those　who　were　convinced　were　afraid　to　publicly　declare　themselves　lest　they　should　lose　their　employment　or　customers。



Chapter　44

The　Beano


Now　and　then　a　transient　gleam　of　sunshine　penetrated　the　gloom　in　which　the　lives　of　the　philanthropists　were　passed。　　The　cheerless　monotony　was　sometimes　enlivened　with　a　little　innocent　merriment。　Every　now　and　then　there　was　a　funeral　which　took　Misery　and　Crass　away　for　the　whole　afternoon；　and　although　they　always　tried　to　keep　the　dates　secret；　the　men　generally　knew　when　they　were　gone。

Sometimes　the　people　in　whose　houses　they　were　working　regaled　them　with　tea；　bread　and　butter；　cake　or　other　light　refreshments；　and　occasionally　even　with　beer　…　very　different　stuff　from　the　petrifying　liquid　they　bought　at　the　Cricketers　for　twopence　a　pint。　　At　other　places；　where　the　people　of　the　house　were　not　so　generously　disposed；　the　servants　made　up　for　it；　and　entertained　them　in　a　similar　manner　without　the　knowledge　of　their　masters　and　mistresses。　　Even　when　the　mistresses　were　too　cunning　to　permit　of　this；　they　were　seldom　able　to　prevent　the　men　from　embracing　the　domestics；　who　for　their　part　were　quite　often　willing　to　be　embraced；　it　was　an　agreeable　episode　that　helped　to　vary　the　monotony　of　their　lives；　and　there　was　no　harm　done。

It　was　rather　hard　lines　on　the　philanthropists　sometimes　when　they　happened　to　be　working　in　inhabited　houses　of　the　better　sort。　　They　always　had　to　go　in　and　out　by　the　back　way；　generally　through　the　kitchen；　and　the　crackling　and　hissing　of　the　poultry　and　the　joints　of　meat　roasting　in　the　ovens；　and　the　odours　of　fruit　pies　and　tarts；　and　plum　puddings　and　sage　and　onions；　were　simply　maddening。　　In　the　back…yards　of　these　houses　there　were　usually　huge　stacks　of　empty　beer；　stout　and　wine　bottles；　and　others　that　had　contained　whisky；　brandy　or　champagne。

The　smells　of　the　delicious　viands　that　were　being　prepared　in　the　kitchen　often　penetrated　into　the　dismantled　rooms　that　the　philanthropists　were　renovating；　sometimes　just　as　they　were　eating　their　own　wretched　fare　out　of　their　dinner　basket；　and　washing　it　down　with　draughts　of　the　cold　tea　or　the　petrifying　liquid　they　sometimes　brought　with　them　in　bottles。

Sometimes；　as　has　been　said；　the　people　of　the　house　used　to　send　up　some　tea　and　bread　and　butter　or　cakes　or　other　refreshments　to　the　workmen；　but　whenever　Hunter　got　to　know　of　it　being　done　he　used　to　speak　to　the　people　about　it　and　request　that　it　be　discontinued；　as　it　caused　the　men　to　waste　their　time。

But　the　event　of　the　year　was　the　Beano；　which　took　place　on　the　last　Saturday　in　August；　after　they　had　been　paying　in　for　about　four　months。　　The　cost　of　the　outing　was　to　be　five　shillings　a　head；　so　this　was　the　amount　each　man　had　to　pay　in；　but　it　was　expected　that　the　total　cost　…　the　hire　of　the　brakes　and　the　cost　of　the　dinner　…　would　come　out　at　a　trifle　less　than　the　amount　stated；　and　in　that　case　the　surplus　would　be　shared　out　after　the　dinner。　　The　amount　of　the　share…out　would　be　greater　or　less　according　to　other　circumstances；　for　it　generally　happened　that　apart　from　the　subscriptions　of　the　men；　the　Beano　fund　was　swelled　by　charitable　donations　from　several　quarters；　as　will　be　seen　later　on。

When　the　eventful　day　arrived；　the　hands；　instead　of　working　till　one；　were　paid　at　twelve　o'clock　and　rushed　off　home　to　have　a　wash　and　change。

The　brakes　were　to　start　from　the　‘Cricketers'　at　one；　but　it　was　arranged；　for　the　convenience　of　those　who　lived　at　Windley；　that　they　were　to　be　picked　up　at　the　Cross　Roads　at　one…thirty。

There　were　four　brakes　altogether　…　three　large　ones　for　the　men　and　one　small　one　for　the　accommodation　of　Mr　Rushton　and　a　few　of　his　personal　friends；　Didlum；　Grinder；　Mr　Toonarf；　an　architect　and　Mr　Lettum；　a　house　and　estate　Agent。　　One　of　the　drivers　was　accompanied　by　a　friend　who　carried　a　long　coachman's　horn。　　This　gentleman　was　not　paid　to　come；　but；　being　out　of　work；　be　thought　that　the　men　would　be　sure　to　stand　him　a　few　drinks　and　that　they　would　probably　make　a　collection　for　him　in　return　for　his　services。

Most　of　the　chaps　were　smoking　twopenny　cigars；　and　had　one　or　two　drinks　with　each　other　to　try　to　cheer　themselves　up　before　they　started；　but　all　the　same　it　was　a　melancholy　procession　that　wended　its　way　up　the　hill　to　Windley。　　To　judge　from　the　mournful　expression　on　the　long　face　of　Misery；　who　sat　on　the　box　beside　the　driver　of　the　first　large　brake；　and　the　downcast　appearance　of　the　majority　of　the　men；　one　might　have　thought　that　it　was　a　funeral　rather　than　a　pleasure　party；　or　that　they　were　a　contingent　of　lost　souls　being　conducted　to　the　banks　of　the　Styx。　　The　man　who　from　time　to　time　sounded　the　coachman's　horn　might　have　passed　as　the　angel　sounding　the　last　trump；　and　the　fumes　of　the　cigars　were　typical　of　the　smoke　of　their　torment；　which　ascendeth　up　for　ever　and　ever。

A　brief　halt　was　made　at　the　Cross　Roads　to　pick　up　several　of　the　men；　including　Philpot；　Harlow；　Easton；　Ned　Dawson；　Sawkins；　Bill　Bates　and　the　Semi…drunk。　　The　two　last…named　were　now　working　for　Smeariton　and　Leavit；　but　as　they　had　been　paying　in　from　the　first；　they　had　elected　to　go