the ragged trousered philanthropists-第53节

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‘Well；　you　can't　expect　me　to　give　you　my　goods　for　nothing！　　You　didn't　work　for　me　for　nothing；　you　know。　　I　paid　you　for　your　work　and　you　should　have　saved　something：　you　should　have　been　thrifty　like　me。　　Look　how　I　have　got　on　by　being　thrifty！'

The　unemployed　looked　blankly　at　each　other；　but　the　rest　of　the　crowd　only　laughed；　and　then　the　three　unemployed　began　to　abuse　the　kind…hearted　Capitalist；　demanding　that　he　should　give　them　some　of　the　necessaries　of　life　that　he　had　piled　up　in　his　warehouses；　or　to　be　allowed　to　work　and　produce　some　more　for　their　own　needs；　and　even　threatened　to　take　some　of　the　things　by　force　if　he　did　not　comply　with　their　demands。　　But　the　kind…hearted　Capitalist　told　them　not　to　be　insolent；　and　spoke　to　them　about　honesty；　and　said　if　they　were　not　careful　he　would　have　their　faces　battered　in　for　them　by　the　police；　or　if　necessary　he　would　call　out　the　military　and　have　them　shot　down　like　dogs；　the　same　as　he　had　done　before　at　Featherstone　and　Belfast。

‘Of　course；'　continued　the　kind…hearted　capitalist；　‘if　it　were　not　for　foreign　competition　I　should　be　able　to　sell　these　things　that　you　have　made；　and　then　I　should　be　able　to　give　you　Plenty　of　Work　again：　but　until　I　have　sold　them　to　somebody　or　other；　or　until　I　have　used　them　myself；　you　will　have　to　remain　idle。'

‘Well；　this　takes　the　bloody　biskit；　don't　it？'　said　Harlow。

‘The　only　thing　as　I　can　see　for　it；'　said　Philpot　mournfully；　‘is　to　'ave　a　unemployed　procession。'

‘That's　the　idear；'　said　Harlow；　and　the　three　began　to　march　about　the　room　in　Indian　file；　singing：

　　　　　　　　‘We've　got　no　work　to　do…oo…oo'　　　　　　　　　We've　got　no　work　to　do…oo…oo！　　　　　　　　　Just　because　we've　been　workin'　a　dam　sight　too　hard；　　　　　　　　　Now　we've　got　no　work　to　do。'

As　they　marched　round；　the　crowd　jeered　at　them　and　made　offensive　remarks。　　Crass　said　that　anyone　could　see　that　they　were　a　lot　of　lazy；　drunken　loafers　who　had　never　done　a　fair　day's　work　in　their　lives　and　never　intended　to。

‘We　shan't　never　get　nothing　like　this；　you　know；'　said　Philpot。　‘Let's　try　the　religious　dodge。'

‘All　right；'　agreed　Harlow。　　‘What　shall　we　give　'em？'

‘I　know！'　cried　Philpot　after　a　moment's　deliberation。　　‘〃Let　my　lower　lights　be　burning。〃　　That　always　makes　'em　part　up。'

The　three　unemployed　accordingly　resumed　their　march　round　the　room；　singing　mournfully　and　imitating　the　usual　whine　of　street…singers：

　　　　　　　　‘Trim　your　fee…bil　lamp　me　brither…in；　　　　　　　　　Some　poor　sail…er　tempest　torst；　　　　　　　　　Strugglin'　'ard　to　save　the　'arb…er；　　　　　　　　　Hin　the　dark…niss　may　be　lorst；　　　　　　　　　So　let　try　lower　lights　be　burning；　　　　　　　　　Send　'er　gleam　acrost　the　wave；　　　　　　　　　Some　poor　shipwrecked；　struggling　seaman；　　　　　　　　　You　may　rescue；　you　may　save。'

‘Kind　frens；'　said　Philpot；　removing　his　cap　and　addressing　the　crowd；　‘we're　hall　honest　British　workin'　men；　but　we've　been　hout　of　work　for　the　last　twenty　years　on　account　of　foreign　competition　and　over…production。　　We　don't　come　hout　'ere　because　we're　too　lazy　to　work；　it's　because　we　can't　get　a　job。　　If　it　wasn't　for　foreign　competition；　the　kind'earted　Hinglish　capitalists　would　be　able　to　sell　their　goods　and　give　us　Plenty　of　Work；　and　if　they　could；　I　assure　you　that　we　should　hall　be　perfectly　willing　and　contented　to　go　on　workin'　our　bloody　guts　out　for　the　benefit　of　our　masters　for　the　rest　of　our　lives。　　We're　quite　willin'　to　work：　that's　hall　we　arst　for　…　Plenty　of　Work　…　but　as　we　can't　get　it　we're　forced　to　come　out　'ere　and　arst　you　to　spare　a　few　coppers　towards　a　crust　of　bread　and　a　night's　lodgin'。'

As　Philpot　held　out　his　cap　for　subscriptions；　some　of　them　attempted　to　expectorate　into　it；　but　the　more　charitable　put　in　pieces　of　cinder　or　dirt　from　the　floor；　and　the　kind…hearted　capitalist　was　so　affected　by　the　sight　of　their　misery　that　he　gave　them　one　of　the　sovereigns　he　had　in　us　pocket：　but　as　this　was　of　no　use　to　them　they　immediately　returned　it　to　him　in　exchange　for　one　of　the　small　squares　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　which　they　divided　and　greedily　devoured。　　And　when　they　had　finished　eating　they　gathered　round　the　philanthropist　and　sang；　‘For　he's　a　jolly　good　fellow；'　and　afterwards　Harlow　suggested　that　they　should　ask　him　if　he　would　allow　them　to　elect　him　to　Parliament。



Chapter　22

The　Phrenologist


The　following　morning　…　Saturday　…　the　men　went　about　their　work　in　gloomy　silence；　there　were　but　few　attempts　at　conversation　and　no　jests　or　singing。　　The　tenor　of　the　impending　slaughter　pervaded　the　house。　　Even　those　who　were　confident　of　being　spared　and　kept　on　till　the　job　was　finished　shared　the　general　depression；　not　only　out　of　sympathy　for　the　doomed；　but　because　they　knew　that　a　similar　fate　awaited　themselves　a　little　later　on。

They　all　waited　anxiously　for　Nimrod　to　come；　but　hour　after　hour　dragged　slowly　by　and　he　did　not　arrive。　　At　half　past　eleven　some　of　those　who　had　made　up　their　minds　that　they　were　to　be　‘stood　still'　began　to　hope　that　the　slaughter　was　to　be　deferred　for　a　few　days：　after　all；　there　was　plenty　of　work　still　to　be　done：　even　if　all　hands　were　kept　on；　the　job　could　scarcely　be　finished　in　another　week。　　Anyhow；　it　would　not　be　very　long　now　before　they　would　know　one　way　or　the　other。　　If　he　did　not　come　before　twelve；　it　was　all　right：　all　the　hands　were　paid　by　the　hour　and　were　therefore　entitled　to　an　hour's　notice。

Easton　and　Harlow　were　working　together　on　the　staircase；　finishing　the　doors　and　other　woodwork　with　white　enamel。　　The　men　had　not　been　allowed　to　spend　the　time　necessary　to　prepare　this　work　in　a　proper　manner；　it　had　not　been　rubbed　down　smooth　or　properly　filled　up；　and　it　had　not　had　a　sufficient　number　of　coats　of　paint　to　make　it　solid　white。　　Now　that　the　glossy　enamel　was　put　on；　the　work　looked　rather　rough　and　shady。

‘It　ain't　'arf　all　right；　ain't　it？'　remarked　Harlow；　sarcastically；　indicating　the　door　he　had　just　finished。

Easton　laughed：　'I　can't　understand　how　people　pass　such　work；'　he　said。

‘Old　Sweater　did　make　some　remark　about　it　the　other　day；'　replied　Harlow；　‘and　I　heard　Misery　tell　'im　it　was　impossible　to　make　a　perfect　job　of　such　old　doors。'

‘I　believe　that　man's　the　biggest　liar　Gord　ever　made；'　said　Easton；　an　opinion　in　which　Harlow　entirely　concurred。

‘I　wonder　what　the　time　is？'　said　the　latter　after　a　pause。

‘I　don't　know　exactly；'　replied　Easton；　'but　it　can't　be　far　off　twelve。'

‘'E　don't　seem　to　be　comin'；　does　'e？'　Harlow　continued。

‘No：　and　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　'e　didn't　turn　up　at　all；　now。　P'raps　'e　don't　mean　to　stop　nobody　today　after　all。'

They　spoke　in　hushed　tones　and　glanced　cautiously　about　them　fearful　of　being　heard　or　observed。

‘This　is　a　bloody　life；　ain't　it？'　Harlow　said；　bitterly。　　‘Workin'　our　guts　out　like　a　lot　of　slaves　for　the　benefit　of　other　people；　and　then　as　soon　as　they've　done　with　you；　you're　chucked　aside　like　a　dirty　rag。'

‘Yes：　and　I　begin　to　think　that　a　great　deal　of　what　Owen　says　is　true。　　But　for　my　part　I　can't　see　'Ow　it's　ever　goin'　to　be　altered；　can　you？'

Blowed　if　I　know；　mate。　　But　whether　it　can　be　altered　or　not；　there's　one　thing　very　certain；　it　won't　be　done　in　our　time。'

Neither　of　them　seemed　to　think　that　if　the　‘alteration'　they　spoke　of　were　to　be　accomplished　at　all　they　themselves　would　have　to　help　to　bring　it　about。

‘I　wonder　what　they're　doin'　about　the　venetian　blinds？'　said　Easton。　‘Is　there　anyone　doin'　em　yet？'

‘I　don't　know；　ain't　'eard　nothing　about　'em　since　the　boy　took　'em　to　the　shop。'

There　was　quite　a　mystery　about　these　blinds。　　About　a　month　ago　they　were　taken　to　the　paint…shop　down　at　the　yard　to　be　repainted　and　re…harnessed；　and　since　then　nothing　had　been　heard　of　them　by　the　men　working　at　the　‘Cave'。

‘P'hap's　a　couple　of　us　will　be　sent　there　to　do　'em　next　week；'　remarked　Harlow。

‘P'hap's　so。　　Most　likely　they'll　'ave　to　be　done　in　a　bloody　'urry　at　the　last　minute。'

Presently　Harlow　…　who　was　very　anxious　to　know　what　time　it　was　…　went　downstairs　to　ask　Slyme。　　It　was　twenty　minutes　to　twelve。

From　the　window　of　the　room　where　Slyme　was　papering；　one　could　see　into　the　front　garden。　Harlow　paused　a　moment　to　watch　Bundy　and　the　labourers；　who　were　still　working　in　the　trenches　at　the　drains；　and　as　he　looked　out　he　saw　Hunter　approaching　the　house。　　Harlow　drew　back　hastily　and　returned　to　his　work；　and　as　he　went　he　passed　the　word　to　the　other　men；　warning　them　of　the　approach　of　Misery。

Hunter　entered　ii　his　usual　manner　and；　after　crawling　quietly　about　the　house　for　about　ten　minutes；　he　went　into　the　drawing　room。

‘I　see　you're　putting　the　finishing　touches　on　at　last；'　he　said。

‘Yes；'　replied　Owen。　　‘I've　only　got　this　bit　of　outlining　to　do　now。'

‘Ah；　well；　it　looks　very　nice；　of　course；'　said　Misery　in　a　voice　of　mourning；　‘but　we've　lost　money　over　it。　　It's　taken　you　a　week　longer　to　do　than　we　allowed　for；　you　said　three　weeks　and　it's　taken　you　a　month；　and　we　only　allowed　for　fifteen　books　of　gold；　but　you've　been　and　used　twenty…three。'

‘You　can　hardly　blame　me　for　that；　you　know；'　answered　Owen。　　‘I　could　have　got　it　done　in　the