the ragged trousered philanthropists-第79节

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the　money。　It'll　be　a　nine　days'　wonder　and　then　we'll　hear　no　more　of　it。'

As　the　Chief　ceased　speaking；　the　other　brigands　also　remained　silent；　speechless　with　admiration　of　his　cleverness。

‘Well；　what　do　you　think　of　it？'　he　asked。

‘Think　of　it！'　cried　Grinder；　enthusiastically。　　‘I　think　it's　splendid！　　Nothing　could　be　better。　　If　we　can　honly　git　away　with　it；　I　reckon　it'll　be　one　of　the　smartest　thing　we've　ever　done。'

‘Smart　ain't　the　word　for　it；'　observed　Rushton。

‘There's　no　doubt　it's　a　grand　idear！'　exclaimed　Didlum；　‘and　I've　just　thought　of　something　else　that　might　be　done　to　help　it　along。　We　could　arrange　to　'ave　a　lot　of　letters　sent　〃To　the　Editor　of　the　Obscurer〃　and　〃To　the　Editor　of　the　Ananias；〃　and　〃To　the　Editor　of　the　Weekly　Chloroform〃　in　favour　of　the　scheme。'

‘Yes；　that's　a　very　good　idea；'　said　Grinder。　　‘For　that　matter　the　editors　could　write　them　to　themselves　and　sign　them　〃Progress〃；　〃Ratepayer〃；　〃Advance　Mugsborough〃；　and　sich…like。'

‘Yes；　that's　all　right；'　said　the　Chief；　thoughtfully；　‘but　we　must　be　careful　not　to　overdo　it；　of　course　there　will　have　to　be　a　certain　amount　of　publicity；　but　we　don't　want　to　create　too　much　interest　in　it。'　‘Come　to　think　of　it；'　observed　Rushton　arrogantly；　‘why　should　we　trouble　ourselves　about　the　opinion　of　the　ratepayers　at　all？　　Why　should　we　trouble　to　fake　the　books；　or　declare　a　dividend　or　'ave　the　harticles　in　the　papers　or　anything　else？　　We've　got　the　game　in　our　own　'ands；　we've　got　a　majority　in　the　Council；　and；　as　Mr　Sweater　ses；　very　few　people　even　take　the　trouble　to　read　the　reports　of　the　meetings。'

‘Yes；　that's　right　enough；'　said　Grinder。　　‘But　it's　just　them　few　wot　would　make　a　lot　of　trouble　and　talk；　THEY'RE　the　very　people　we　'as　to　think　about。　　If　we　can　only　manage　to　put　THEM　in　a　fog　we'll　be　all　right；　and　the　way　to　do　it　is　as　Mr　Sweater　proposes。'

‘Yes；　I　think　so；'　said　the　Chief。　　‘We　must　be　very　careful。　　I　can　work　it　all　right　in　the　Ananias　and　the　Chloroform；　and　of　course　you'll　see　that　the　Obscurer　backs　us　up。'

‘I'll　take　care　of　that；'　said　Grinder；　grimly。

The　three　local　papers　were　run　by　limited　companies。　　Sweater　held　nearly　all　the　shares　of　the　Ananias　and　of　the　Weekly　Chloroform；　and　controlled　their　policy　and　contents。　　Grinder　occupied　the　same　position　with　regard　to　the　Obscurer。　　The　editors　were　a　sort　of　marionettes　who　danced　as　Sweater　and　Grinder　pulled　the　strings。

‘I　wonder　how　Dr　Weakling　will　take　it？'　remarked　Rushton。

‘That's　the　very　thing　I　was　just　thinkin'　about；'　cried　Didlum。　‘Don't　you　think　it　would　be　a　good　plan　if　we　could　arrange　to　'ave　somebody　took　bad　…　you　know；　fall　down　in　a　fit　or　something　in　the　street　just　outside　the　Town　'All　just　before　the　matter　is　brought　forward　in　the　Council；　and　then　'ave　someone　to　come　and　call　'im　out　to　attend　to　the　party　wot's　ill；　and　keep　'im　out　till　the　business　is　done。'

‘Yes；　that's　a　capital　idear；'　said　Grinder　thoughtfully。　　‘But　who　could　we　get　to　'ave　the　fit？　　It　would　'ave　to　be　someone　we　could　trust；　you　know。'

‘'Ow　about　Rushton？　　You　wouldn't　mind　doin'　it；　would　yer？'　inquired　Didlum。

‘I　should　strongly　object；'　said　Rushton　haughtily。　　He　regarded　the　suggestion　that　he　should　act　such　an　undignified　part；　as　a　kind　of　sacrilege。

‘Then　I'll　do　it　meself　if　necessary；'　said　Didlum。　　‘I'm　not　proud　when　there's　money　to　be　made；　anything　for　an　honest　living。'

‘Well；　I　think　we're　all　agreed；　so　far；'　remarked　Sweater。　　The　others　signified　assent。

‘And　I　think　we　all　deserve　a　drink；'　the　Chief　continued；　producing　a　decanter　and　a　box　of　cigars　from　a　cupboard　by　the　side　of　his　desk。　‘Pass　that　water　bottle　from　behind　you；　Didlum。'

‘I　suppose　nobody　won't　be　comin'　in？'　said　the　latter；　anxiously。　‘I'm　a　teetotaler；　you　know。'

‘Oh；　it's　all　right；'　said　Sweater；　taking　four　glasses　out　of　the　cupboard　and　pouring　out　the　whisky。　　‘I've　given　orders　that　we're　not　to　be　disturbed　for　anyone。　　Say　when。'

‘Well；　'ere's　success　to　Socialism；'　cried　Grinder；　raising　his　glass；　and　taking　a　big　drink。

‘Amen　…　'ear；　'ear；　I　mean；'　said　Didlum；　hastily　correcting　himself。

‘Wot　I　likes　about　this　'ere　business　is　that　we're　not　only　doin'　ourselves　a　bit　of　good；'　continued　Grinder　with　a　laugh；　‘we're　not　only　doin'　ourselves　a　bit　of　good；　but　we're　likewise　doin'　the　Socialists　a　lot　of　'arm。　　When　the　ratepayers　'ave　bought　the　Works；　and　they　begins　to　kick　up　a　row　because　they're　losin'　money　over　it　…　we　can　tell　'em　that　it's　Socialism！　　And　then　they'll　say　that　if　that's　Socialism　they　don't　want　no　more　of　it。'

The　other　brigands　laughed　gleefully；　and　some　of　Didlum's　whisky　went　down　the　wrong　way　and　nearly　sent　him　into　a　fit。

‘You　might　as　well　kill　a　man　at　once；'　he　protested　as　he　wiped　the　tears　from　his　eyes；　‘you　might　as　well　kill　a　man　at　once　as　choke　'im　to　death。'

‘And　now　I've　got　a　bit　of　good　news　for　you；'　said　the　Chief　as　he　put　his　empty　glass　down。

The　others　became　serious　at　once。

‘Although　we've　had　a　very　rough　time　of　it　in　our　contest　with　the　Gasworks　Company；　and　although　we've　got　the　worst　of　it；　it　hasn't　been　all　lavender　for　them；　you　know。　　They've　not　enjoyed　themselves　either：　we　hit　them　pretty　hard　when　we　put　up　the　coal　dues。'

‘A　damn　good　job　too；'　said　Grinder　malignantly。

‘Well；'　continued　Sweater；　‘they're　just　as　sick　of　the　fight　as　they　want　to　be；　because　of　course　they　don't　know　exactly　how　badly　we've　been　hit。　　For　all　they　know；　we　could　have　continued　the　struggle　indefinitely：　and　…　well；　to　make　a　long　story　short；　I've　had　a　talk　with　the　managing　director　and　one　or　two　others；　and　they're　willing　to　let　us　in　with　them。　　So　that　we　can　put　the　money　we　get　for　the　Electric　Light　Works　into　gas　shares！'

This　was　such　splendid　news　that　they　had　another　drink　on　the　strength　of　it；　and　Didlum　said　that　one　of　the　first　things　they　would　have　to　do　would　be　to　totally　abolish　the　Coal　Dues；　because　they　pressed　so　hard　on　the　poor。



Chapter　31

The　Deserter


About　the　end　of　January；　Slyme　left　Easton's。　　The　latter　had　not　succeeded　in　getting　anything　to　do　since　the　work　at　‘The　Cave'　was　finished；　and　latterly　the　quality　of　the　food　had　been　falling　off。　The　twelve　shillings　Slyme　paid　for　his　board　and　lodging　was　all　that　Ruth　had　to　keep　house　with。　　She　had　tried　to　get　some　work　to　do　herself；　but　generally　without　success；　there　were　one　or　two　jobs　that　she　might　have　had　if　she　had　been　able　to　give　her　whole　time　to　them；　but　of　course　that　was　not　possible；　the　child　and　the　housework　had　to　be　attended　to；　and　Slyme's　meals　had　to　be　prepared。　Nevertheless；　she　contrived　to　get　away　several　times　when　she　had　a　chance　of　earning　a　few　shillings　by　doing　a　day's　charing　for　some　lady　or　other；　and　then　she　left　everything　in　such　order　at　home　that　Easton　was　able　to　manage　all　right　while　she　was　away。　　On　these　occasions；　she　usually　left　the　baby　with　Owen's　wife；　who　was　an　old　schoolmate　of　hers。　　Nora　was　the　more　willing　to　render　her　this　service　because　Frankie　used　to　be　so　highly　delighted　whenever　it　happened。　　He　never　tired　of　playing　with　the　child；　and　for　several　days　afterwards　he　used　to　worry　his　mother　with　entreaties　to　buy　a　baby　of　their　own。

Easton　earned　a　few　shillings　occasionally；　now　and　then　he　got　a　job　to　clean　windows；　and　once　or　twice　he　did　a　few　days'　or　hours'　work　with　some　other　painter　who　had　been　fortunate　enough　to　get　a　little　job　‘on　his　own'　…　such　as　a　ceiling　to　wash　and　whiten；　or　a　room　or　two　to　paint；　but　such　jobs　were　few。

Sometimes；　when　they　were　very　hard　up；　they　sold　something；　the　Bible　that　used　to　lie　on　the　little　table　in　the　bay　window　was　one　of　the　first　things　to　be　parted　with。　　Ruth　erased　the　inscription　from　the　fly…leaf　and　then　they　sold　the　book　at　a　second…hand　shop　for　two　shillings。　　As　time　went　on；　they　sold　nearly　everything　that　was　saleable；　except　of　course；　the　things　that　were　obtained　on　the　hire　system。

Slyme　could　see　that　they　were　getting　very　much　into　debt　and　behind　with　the　rent；　and　on　two　occasions　already　Easton　had　borrowed　five　shillings　from　him；　which　he　might　never　be　able　to　pay　back。　　Another　thing　was　that　Slyme　was　always　in　fear　that　Ruth　…　who　had　never　wholly　abandoned　herself　to　wrongdoing　…　might　tell　Easton　what　had　happened；　more　than　once　she　had　talked　of　doing　so；　and　the　principal　reason　why　she　refrained　was　that　she　knew　that　even　if　he　forgave　her；　he　could　never　think　the　same　of　her　as　before。　　Slyme　repeatedly　urged　this　view　upon　her；　pointing　out　that　no　good　could　result　from　such　a　confession。

Latterly　the　house　had　become　very　uncomfortable。　　It　was　not　only　that　the　food　was　bad　and　that　sometimes　there　was　no　fire；　but　Ruth　and　Easton　were　nearly　always　quarrelling　about　something　or　other。　She　scarcely　spoke　to　Slyme　at　all；　and　avoided　sitting　at　the　table　with　him　whenever　possible。　　He　was　in　constant　dread　that　Easton　might　notice　her　manner　towards　him；　and　seek　for　some　explanation。　Altogether　the　situation　was　so　unpleasant　that　Slyme　determined　to　clear　out。　　He　made　the　excuse