andnow
I
feel
the
responsibility
of
it
so
much
more
than
I
should
have
done
before
.
'
Count
Litvinoff
thought
to
himself
that
that
was
the
sort
of
responsibility
he
was
admirably
adapted
to
share
.
He
merely
looked
sympathetic
,
and
Miss
Stanley
went
on
.
'
And
then
I
feel
sure
money
may
be
a
fearful
curse
if
one
does
n't
use
it
properly
.
Of
course
,
I
ca
n't
disguise
from
myself
that
this
money
was
made
in
the
usual
way
,
and
that
others
have
lost
all
that
my
father
and
his
father
have
gained
,
and
I
wish
I
could
think
of
some
way
in
which
it
might
give
as
much
happiness
as
it
would
have
done
had
it
been
left
in
the
hands
of
the
workers
who
toiled
to
produce
it
.
You
are
one
who
should
be
able
to
advise
me
.
What
shall
I
do
?
'
Litvinoff
's
hair
almost
stood
on
end
.
This
was
getting
his
own
coin
back
with
a
vengeance
.
'
My
dear
Miss
Stanley
,
'
he
said
gravely
,
'
if
I
were
to
advise
you
in
the
only
way
which
seems
possible
to
me
now
,
your
friends
would
all
look
upon
me
as
your
worst
enemy
—
as
an
adventurer
,
as
a
rogue
.
Whereas
I
desire
to
be
looked
on
as
your
faithful
friend
and
servant
—
as
the
man
who
,
more
than
all
others
,
would
go
through
fire
and
water
to
do
you
the
slightest
service
.
'
'
I
should
hardly
have
thought
you
would
have
cared
what
my
friends
or
anybody
else
thought
of
you
,
'
was
Miss
Stanley
's
only
reply
to
this
fervid
declaration
.
'
Under
most
circumstances
,
'
said
the
Count
,
with
a
little
wave
of
his
hand
,
'
I
do
care
for
nothing
and
for
nobody
;
but
'
—
he
went
on
,
with
a
slight
tremor
in
his
voice
—
'
rather
than
incur
the
dislike
of
any
one
whom
you
respect
and
love
,
I
would
abjure
every
principle
,
and
sacrifice
every
cause
.
'
'
I
asked
for
advice
,
'
said
Clare
,
not
seeing
her
way
to
a
more
direct
answer
.
'
I
know
you
did
,
'
he
spoke
rapidly
,
dropping
into
a
foreign
accent
;
'
and
I
—
I
cannot
give
it
you
,
Miss
Stanley
.
Let
me
tell
you
one
thing
.
You
know
—
you
have
heard
,
you
have
read
—
how
in
Russia
,
when
money
is
wanted
for
our
cause
,
it
is
the
duty
of
some
of
us
to
get
it
—
to
persuade
it
out
of
those
who
have
.
That
has
often
been
my
duty
,
and
I
have
never
failed
.
I
have
taken
,
over
and
over
again
,
all
,
all
from
those
as
young
as
you
,
and
have
left
them
with
nothing
.
I
have
had
to
raise
enthusiasm
by
every
means
,
to
urge
to
self-sacrifice
,
and
then
to
take
unsparingly
.
There
are
men
now
,
my
friends
,
who
,
if
they
knew
that
you
—
rich
,
young
,
enthusiastic
—
had
asked
me
for
advice
,
and
that
I
had
refused
to
give
it
,
would
say
,
"
Michael
Litvinoff
has
become
traitor
,
"
and
would
kill
me
like
a
rat
.
But
,
'
he
went
on
,
rising
and
stretching
out
his
clenched
fist
,
'
did
I
know
that
a
legion
of
such
men
were
outside
that
door
,
armed
and
waiting
for
me
,
and
hearing
every
word
I
speak
,
I
would
still
say
that
for
no
cause
in
the
world
must
you
make
sacrifices
or
must
you
suffer
;
and
I
would
still
say
that
I
would
serve
you
before
all
causes
.
'
'
Count
Litvinoff
,
I
can
hear
no
more
of
this
.
Please
talk
of
something
else
.
'
'
Ah
!
now
yet
once
more
I
have
offended
you
.
It
is
part
of
my
unhappy
lot
that
whenever
I
speak
in
earnest
I
offend
you
.
But
I
ca
n't
talk
of
something
else
to-day
.
I
must
say
adieu
,
Miss
Stanley
.
If
I
stayed
I
should
disobey
you
,
and
I
cannot
disobey
you
.
'
'
Good-bye
,
then
,
'
said
Clare
,
extending
her
hand
.
He
caught
her
hand
,
held
it
tightly
an
instant
,
bent
over
it
as
though
he
were
about
to
raise
it
to
his
lips
,
then
dropped
it
as
if
it
had
burned
him
.
'
Adieu
,
'
he
said
,
'
I
know
that
in
England
the
hand-shake
means
forgivenness
,
and
that
once
more
I
am
forgiven
—
for
speaking
the
truth
—
and
that
I
may
see
you
again
.
'
Clare
did
not
gainsay
it
,
and
he
left
the
room
.
Count
Litvinoff
was
marching
back
to
Thornsett
with
a
very
elate
step
,
and
a
good
deal
of
military
swagger
,
and
Clare
had
resumed
her
thinking
—
she
was
thinking
of
him
,
and
he
was
thinking
of
her
.
He
thought
aloud
,
as
usual
.
'
H
'm
,
'
he
said
to
the
grey
stone
walls
on
each
side
of
him
,
and
to
the
plovers
who
were
wheeling
and
screaming
overhead
,
'
la
belle
was
offended
,
but
not
so
much
.
When
she
thinks
over
it
she
will
say
,
—
"
He
is
not
a
good
patriot
and
friend
of
liberty
,
this
Litvinoff
,
for
he
forgets
his
mistress
,
La
Révolution
;
therefore
he
is
unfaithful
.
"
Ay
,
but
she
will
add
,
"
He
only
forgets
her
when
I
am
near
,
and
he
is
only
unfaithful
for
me
,
"
C'est
bien
—
c'est
bien
—
c'est
très
bien
!
'
he
added
,
vaulting
a
gate
and
making
a
short
cut
home
.
FRIENDS
IN
COUNCIL
GOING
out
again
,
John
?
'
spoke
Mrs
Hatfield
,
a
little
plaintively
,
as
her
husband
rose
and
took
down
his
hat
from
its
peg
,
ten
days
after
Thornsett
Mill
had
been
closed
.
Not
closed
for
a
day
on
account
of
a
wedding
,
as
had
once
been
suggested
,
but
closed
,
it
might
be
for
ten
years
,
or
practically
for
ever
.
'
Ay
,
lass
,
'
said
her
husband
shortly
,
but
not
unkindly
;
'
Ah
should
go
clean
daft
if
Ah
stayed
i
'
the
house
.
Lazying
about
do
n't
suit
me
—
it
's
only
my
betters
as
takes
their
pleasure
i
'
that
way
.
'
'
Tha'lt
do
no
good
down
at
t
'
Spotted
Cow
,
'
returned
Mrs
Hatfield
,
compressing
her
lips
;
'
tha
might
as
well
be
idle
i
'
tha
own
house
as
wi
'
all
they
gomerils
—
spending
tha
money
too
,
as
if
tha
was
i
'
full
work
.
'
'
Well
,
'
he
said
,
pausing
with
his
hand
on
the
back
of
the
settle
where
she
sat
,
'
we
'll
all
have
to
be
shifting
out
o
'
this
soon
,
and
tha
knows
,
lass
,
as
Ah
were
never
one
to
drink
nor
to
talk
out
o
'
season
.
Ah
mun
hear
where
the
lads
is
going
for
work
.
It
wo
n't
ne'er
do
for
us
a
'
to
be
going
the
same
way
.
'
'
It
seems
hard
tha
should
have
to
go
after
work
at
tha
time
o
'
life
,
John
.
But
likely
it
's
as
hard
for
Rowley
and
Dick
as
for
thee
and
me
.
Poor
lads
,
poor
lads
!
Ah
,
Heaven
help
us
a
'
in
this
hard
world
.
'
'
They
're
fur
enow
fro
'
want
,
tha
may
be
sure
,
or
they
would
n't
ha
'
sacrificed
the
mill
to
their
mucky
pride
.
It
's
little
they
care
who
starves
,
so
long
as
they
have
enow
.
Tha
must
remember
as
what
they
'd
call
being
poor
we
'd
call
being
rich
.
"
Hard
up
"
for
a
gentleman
ud
be
enow
and
to
spare
for
a
working
man
.
'
And
he
went
out
,
slamming
the
door
behind
him
,
and
his
wife
took
up
her
knitting
with
a
sigh
.
She
could
rarely
follow
her
husband
in
his
reasonings
,
but
troubles
are
not
the
less
hard
to
bear
because
we
do
n't
clearly
see
their
causes
.
They
had
saved
a
little
money
,
but
that
would
soon
be
gone
,
and
then
there
would
be
nothing
before
them
but
'
the
house
.
'
Both
their
sons
were
away
—
one
a
sailor
,
and
the
other
in
a
warehouse
in
Liverpool
—
but
neither
was
earning
enough
to
be
able
to
help
their
parents
.
Vaguely
she
hoped
that
her
husband
might
take
it
into
his
head
to
go
to
London
for
work
.
An
idea
is
prevalent
in
the
provinces
that
in
London
there
is
work
for
every
one
,
and
besides
,
Alice
had
written
from
London
,
and
there
would
be
a
chance
of
finding
her
poor
lost
child
and
bringing
her
back
.
The
sudden
closing
of
the
mill
made
affairs
indeed
terribly
serious
for
most
of
the
men
in
Thornsett
.
It
was
in
the
middle
of
winter
,
when
journeying
was
not
pleasant
,
nor
work
easy
to
get
;
and
though
the
'
hands
'
employed
in
the
mill
had
been
told
that
it
would
close
,
very
,
very
few
among
them
had
made
any
effort
to
secure
other
work
before
the
time
for
closing
came
.
Perhaps
it
had
seemed
to
them
that
the
closing
of
the
mill
was
one
of
those
calamities
too
terrible
to
happen
.
But
it
had
happened
,
and
after
ten
days
of
idleness
the
men
were
beginning
to
see
clearly
what
it
would
mean
to
them
.
For
there
was
no
other
work
to
be
got
within
anything
like
easy
reach
of
the
village
;
and
even
if
work
could
be
obtained
somewhere
else
,
the
little
community
must
be
broken
up
,
and
each
family
must
separate
itself
from
friends
and
neighbours
and
relatives
in
order
to
journey
thither
.
This
alone
is
thought
a
terrible
calamity
for
middle-class
men
and
women
,
but
it
is
the
least
of
the
troubles
which
are
always
hanging
over
the
heads
of
the
workers
.
The
exodus
that
must
shortly
take
place
had
not
yet
begun
,
but
every
one
knew
that
it
could
not
now
be
long
delayed
;
and
Potters
and
the
few
other
tradespeople
being
,
of
course
,
involved
in
the
general
distress
,
could
no
longer
give
credit
.
This
had
never
been
withheld
in
slack
times
,
when
the
shopkeepers
knew
that
good
ones
were
certain
to
come
in
which
the
scores
would
be
wiped
off
or
reduced
very
considerably
;
but
now
there
was
no
chance
of
things
growing
brighter
again
,
and
even
the
small
accounts
then
owing
were
not
very
likely
ever
to
be
paid
.
During
the
past
ten
days
,
as
the
men
's
money
was
being
spent
,
and
as
the
want
of
work
gave
them
more
time
to
reason
on
the
causes
of
their
trouble
,
a
strong
feeling
of
resentment
had
been
growing
up
among
them
against
the
two
young
masters
,
who
had
held
,
as
it
were
,
the
happiness
,
the
comfort
,
perhaps
the
lives
,
of
all
these
men
in
their
hands
,
and
had
thrown
all
to
the
dogs
rather
than
humble
their
own
insensate
pride
and
abate
their
own
insensate
obstinacy
.
This
feeling
had
found
vent
,
not
only
in
the
scowls
and
black
looks
on
which
Litvinoff
had
commented
,
but
in
certain
faint
groans
and
hisses
with
which
Roland
had
been
greeted
on
more
than
one
occasion
when
he
passed
down
the
village
street
.
What
right
had
these
two
,
on
whose
forbearance
and
good
fellowship
hung
the
fate
of
all
these
families
,
to
go
quarrelling
with
each
other
?
'
It
's
a
'
their
darn
'd
selfishness
,
'
Murdoch
was
saying
,
just
as
Hatfield
kicked
open
the
door
of
the
tap-room
at
the
Spotted
Cow
,
and
passed
in
.
'
What
's
the
odds
to
them
if
we
clem
or
if
we
dunna't
?
'
'
It
's
my
belief
,
'
said
Potters
bitterly
,
'
as
they
done
it
to
show
their
independence
.
'
'
They
might
have
hit
on
a
cheaper
way
,
'
growled
Hatfield
,
as
Murdoch
and
Sigley
made
room
for
him
to
sit
between
them
.
'
Cheaper
!
why
,
what
's
cheaper
nor
our
flesh
and
blood
?
'
asked
Murdoch
,
with
a
snarl
.
'
They
can
afford
to
chuck
a
little
o
'
that
away
.
They
can
get
more
of
it
when
they
want
it
easy
enow
.
'
'
Ay
,
that
's
it
,
lad
,
'
said
Hatfield
.
'
It
's
the
flesh
and
blood
o
'
some
o
'
us
that
's
here
still
,
and
more
o
'
us
that
's
dead
and
gone
,
that
's
made
the
bit
o
'
money
they
'll
live
on
for
the
rest
o
'
their
days
.
'
'
Well
,
I
do
n't
quite
see
that
,
'
muttered
Sigley
,
with
his
usual
meekness
.
'
They
've
always
paid
fair
wages
.
'
'
Yes
,
'
answered
Hatfield
.
'
Ah
never
said
they
took
it
for
nothing
.
They
paid
for
it
right
enow
,
but
they
bought
it
cheap
,
lad
—
they
bought
it
cheap
,
and
they
sold
it
at
a
good
profit
.
We
've
nowt
but
our
flesh
and
blood
to
sell
,
and
now
we
mun
carry
it
to
another
market
.
'
'
If
you
mean
your
work
,
'
put
in
the
landlord
,
'
I
do
n't
see
as
you
ought
to
talk
i
'
that
way
.
They
paid
you
your
own
price
for
your
work
,
anyhow
.
'
'
No
,
'
said
Hatfield
.
'
They
paid
us
what
we
was
forced
to
take
.
'
'
Thou'dst
always
some
sense
i
'
tha
head
,
John
,
'
broke
in
old
Murdoch
approvingly
.
'
Tha
was
na
here
when
...
.
D'ye
mind
,
Bolt
,
the
night
after
t'owd
master
's
burying
,
tha
made
the
lads
drink
t
'
young
masters
'
health
?
Ask
them
to
drink
it
now
!
'
The
murmur
of
ironical
assent
which
went
round
the
room
showed
that
Murdoch
had
expressed
the
sense
of
the
meeting
.
He
had
been
rising
in
importance
daily
,
ever
since
the
announcement
of
the
mill
's
closing
.
He
had
always
been
the
prophet
of
calamity
,
and
now
that
his
worst
prophecies
had
been
more
than
fulfilled
he
was
looked
upon
as
little
less
than
inspired
.
'
Well
,
'
said
Bolt
deprecatingly
,
'
who
could
ha
'
foreseen
things
turning
out
i
'
this
way
?
And
as
for
asking
them
to
drink
their
healths
,
why
they
ai
n't
their
masters
now
.
So
where
's
the
use
?
'
'
It
do
seem
hard
,
it
do
,
'
murmured
Sigley
,
who
went
to
chapel
regularly
,
'
when
a
man
have
saved
up
a
bit
to
have
it
all
swept
away
in
a
rushing
,
mighty
wind
,
and
us
left
,
like
Pharaoh
's
lean
kine
,
to
make
bricks
without
straw
.
The
whole
creation
groaneth
!
...
'
'
Well
,
do
n't
groan
here
,
'
interrupted
Murdoch
grimly
;
'
tha
'd
best
do
tha
groanin
'
wi
'
the
rest
o
'
creation
at
t
'
chapel
;
and
well
mayst
tha
groan
there
if
tha
hears
tell
o
'
cows
makin
'
bricks
.
'
'
Them
as
do
n't
believe
in
the
Bible
,
'
said
Sigley
impressively
,
giving
voice
to
a
very
popular
belief
,
'
ca
n't
look
for
a
blessing
.
'
'
Nor
yet
them
as
does
,
it
seems
.
'
'
What
ah
was
going
to
say
was
this
—
as
we
should
take
comfort
,
thinking
as
we
ai
n't
the
only
ones
.
'
'
Comfort
,
tha
loon
!
—
that
's
the
hell
of
it
!
Damn
the
man
,
says
I
,
as
can
find
comfort
i
'
t
'
thought
o
'
other
men
's
misery
!
'
It
was
Hatfield
who
spoke
,
and
as
he
spoke
he
brought
his
fist
down
on
the
table
with
a
bang
that
made
the
glasses
ring
.
'
How
tha
does
take
on
,
John
,
'
said
Bolt
.
'
What
Sigley
meant
was
only
as
it
shows
you
ai
n't
to
blame
,
seeing
as
so
many
others
is
in
the
same
fix
.
'
Sigley
did
not
confirm
this
interpretation
.
He
only
shook
his
head
,
with
the
air
of
one
who
had
meant
something
much
more
pious
and
profound
.
'
You
're
wrong
again
,
'
said
Hatfield
loudly
.
He
had
risen
and
faced
the
room
,
which
was
now
pretty
full
.
While
this
talk
had
been
going
on
,
men
had
dropped
in
by
twos
and
threes
,
and
all
that
had
been
said
had
been
listened
to
with
profound
attention
.
'
You
're
wrong
again
!
It
is
our
faults
,
and
the
faults
of
all
like
us
.
Our
fathers
might
have
altered
it
.
We
might
alter
it
now
if
we
had
but
the
spunk
to
take
it
in
hand
;
and
,
if
we
do
n't
,
them
as
comes
after
us
will
,
and
'll
curse
us
for
leaving
them
the
work
to
do
.
Did
n't
none
o
'
ye
ever
hear
tell
o
'
the
elephant
that
lets
himself
be
led
and
mastered
by
one
he
could
smash
with
a
shake
o
'
his
poll
?
And
why
?
Because
,
the
books
tell
us
,
he
doesna
know
his
own
strength
.
But
he
doesna
fare
so
bad
as
we
.
He
gets
well
fed
and
well
looked
after
because
it
costs
summat
to
replace
him
,
and
we
lets
oursels
be
led
and
drove
and
starved
,
when
it
suits
'
em
,
by
a
set
as
we
could
chase
out
o
'
the
world
to-morrow
if
we
but
stood
together
and
acted
like
men
.
'
A
thrill
of
excited
sympathy
ran
through
the
room
as
old
Murdoch
shouted
,
—
'
Right
again
!
That
's
it
,
John
;
tha
's
got
it
!
A
score
thousand
o
'
your
pattern
and
there
'd
be
an
end
to
men
being
turned
out
o
'
their
homes
to
clem
i
'
midwinter
because
two
young
devils
both
wants
the
same
lass
!
'
'
It
's
all
very
well
,
Hatfield
,
'
said
Potters
sourly
;
'
but
tha
's
one
face
for
us
and
another
face
for
t
'
gentlefolk
.
That
war
n't
no
working
man
as
I
've
see
comin
'
out
o
'
your
house
time
and
again
this
last
three
week
.
'
'
No
,
he
ai
n't
.
He
's
more
o
'
the
right
stuff
in
his
little
finger
nor
you
and
all
like
you
put
together
has
got
in
your
whole
bodies
.
There
,
take
that
,
Potters
!
'
'
Whatever
he
's
got
in
him
,
he
seems
pretty
thick
with
young
Roland
Ferrier
,
'
said
a
man
who
had
not
spoken
before
.
'
He
did
his
best
to
stop
their
quarrelling
,
'
Hatfield
answered
hotly
;
'
because
he
knew
what
it
would
be
for
all
o
'
us
;
and
he
's
been
chased
out
o
'
his
own
country
and
lost
nearly
all
his
brass
for
standing
up
for
the
likes
o
'
we
.
'
'
Yes
,
I
've
had
a
bit
o
'
talk
with
him
,
too
;
that
's
true
enough
.
'
'
Ay
!
he
's
no
fool
,
nor
no
coward
neither
.
'
'
He
's
a
true
friend
o
'
working
men
,
he
is
,
if
he
is
a
Count
.
'
Litvinoff
,
it
will
be
seen
,
had
not
lost
his
opportunities
while
he
had
been
at
Thornsett
,
for
nearly
every
man
present
had
something
to
say
in
his
favour
.
'
But
seeing
as
he
's
such
a
friend
o
'
Mr
Roland
's
,
why
do
n't
he
do
something
to
stop
this
set-out
?
'
'
What
can
he
do
?
'
'
He
might
speak
to
him
about
it
.
'
'
Look'ee
here
,
lads
,
'
said
Clayton
,
an
old
man
who
had
not
spoken
before
,
'
ah
've
been
a-turnin
'
o
'
this
thing
over
i
'
my
head
,
and
this
is
what
ah
come
to
.
If
so
be
as
young
Ferrier
's
like
to
listen
to
any
one
,
would
he
listen
first
to
a
new-fangled
furrin
'
chap
,
or
to
all
o
'
us
honest
lads
as
has
known
him
since
he
was
so
high
?
Has
any
of
you
spoke
to
him
?
Has
any
one
of
you
put
it
straight
to
him
—
this
is
the
way
of
it
,
and
this
and
this
?
M'appen
this
fooling
o
'
theirs
was
just
through
ignorance
.
They
might
ha
'
thought
it
didna
matter
to
any
but
them
,
and
if
once
they
knowed
a
'
as
it
means
,
m'appen
they
'd
think
better
owt
,
and
let
things
go
the
old
way
.
'
'
Old
heads
is
worth
most
,
arter
all
,
'
said
John
Bolt
,
who
was
of
a
hopeful
nature
and
turned
to
the
new
idea
as
a
relief
from
his
former
visions
of
empty
benches
and
deserted
bar
,
—
of
a
time
when
there
would
be
nothing
to
chalk
up
but
his
own
losses
,
and
when
adulterated
beer
would
seem
what
it
was
,
a
drug
in
the
market
.
'
Why
should
n't
some
of
you
do
as
he
says
,
and
go
and
see
him
and
speak
him
reasonable
?
'
A
great
difference
of
opinion
arose
at
once
on
the
new
idea
,
but
nearly
all
were
in
their
hearts
glad
to
try
a
new
chance
,
and
at
last
old
Clayton
,
from
whom
the
suggestion
had
come
,
said
,
—
'
Well
,
sithee
,
if
any
of
you
lads
'll
come
wi
'
me
,
dang
me
if
I
'll
not
go
this
very
night
—
this
very
minute
.
'
'
You
'd
better
all
go
,
'
advised
Potters
;
'
it
would
be
more
telling
like
.
'
'
All
o
'
us
is
n't
here
,
'
murmured
Sigley
.
'
Get
'
em
here
,
'
said
Clayton
shortly
.
'
If
two
or
three
o
'
ye
was
to
go
round
and
tell
the
other
lads
what
's
towards
,
they
'd
come
too
,
and
we
'd
have
one
more
try
at
getting
things
righted
here
,
afore
we
all
turns
different
ways
and
never
sees
each
other
's
faces
again
.
'
No
sooner
said
than
done
.
Men
are
ready
at
all
times
to
follow
any
one
who
will
act
,
or
even
to
act
themselves
if
prompted
with
sufficient
energy
.
In
less
than
half
an
hour
over
a
hundred
men
were
assembled
outside
the
Spotted
Cow
,
and
were
prepared
to
go
up
to
Thornsett
Edge
to
try
to
open
again
the
doors
of
the
workshop
which
a
dead
hand
had
closed
against
them
.
But
their
faith
was
strong
in
the
power
of
a
young
and
living
hand
,
and
they
went
with
a
new
hope
in
their
hearts
.
'
We
'll
all
go
up
,
'
said
old
Clayton
,
who
had
assumed
the
position
of
leader
,
'
but
only
a
few
of
us
had
best
go
in
.
Let
's
see
—
you
,
and
you
,
and
you
.
You
'll
be
one
,
Hatfield
,
and
Murdoch
makes
five
.
'
'
Not
me
,
'
snarled
Murdoch
sourly
;
'
no
eatin
'
dirt
for
me
.
I
ai
n't
never
humbled
myself
to
no
man
,
and
I
ai
n't
a-goin
'
to
begin
now
,
to
a
young
chap
as
ah
worked
along
o
'
his
father
manys
a
long
day
.
'
'
Not
me
,
neither
,
'
said
Hatfield
,
'
for
ah
know
aforehand
as
it
's
too
late
.
But
do
n't
you
mind
us
.
Go
your
own
way
,
and
here
's
luck
to
you
.
'
He
and
Murdoch
stood
at
the
door
with
Bolt
and
Potters
,
and
a
few
more
who
,
not
having
been
employed
in
the
mill
,
were
considered
not
to
have
any
place
in
the
deputation
.
They
watched
the
crowd
out
of
sight
up
the
steep
street
,
and
the
women
turned
out
to
watch
their
men
go
by
.
It
was
a
clear
,
frosty
night
,
and
bitterly
cold
,
but
most
of
the
women
rolled
their
bare
arms
in
their
aprons
and
stood
talking
in
little
knots
after
the
procession
had
passed
out
of
sight
.
They
were
more
hopeful
than
their
husbands
,
for
women
are
naturally
more
trusting
than
men
and
believe
more
in
the
possibility
of
altering
facts
by
emotional
influences
.
To
Murdoch
and
Hatfield
,
in
spite
of
their
assumption
of
indifference
,
the
time
seemed
very
long
as
it
went
by
and
brought
them
no
news
of
their
comrades
.
After
half
an
hour
Bill
suggested
that
they
should
stroll
up
the
hill
to
meet
the
others
and
learn
how
it
fared
with
them
.
A
FORLORN
HOPE
IF
the
frequenters
of
the
Spotted
Cow
had
only
known
,
this
was
about
the
most
unpropitious
moment
for
obtaining
a
hearing
for
their
petition
.
A
hearing
was
all
they
could
possibly
obtain
for
it
,
but
that
they
did
not
know
either
.
Litvinoff
's
host
had
not
found
him
as
great
a
comfort
as
he
had
expected
.
For
one
thing
,
the
Count
's
almost
universal
sympathy
seemed
unaccountably
to
stop
short
at
Roland
Ferrier
.
The
young
man
felt
that
he
had
been
terribly
ill-used
and
naturally
expected
every
one
else
to
see
things
in
the
same
light
,
and
it
was
'
riling
'
to
find
all
the
sympathy
of
his
guest
turned
,
not
towards
him
,
but
towards
his
workmen
,
which
did
not
seem
reasonable
;
for
,
as
Roland
said
,
they
could
get
other
work
,
but
where
was
he
to
get
another
mill
?
Then
he
did
not
like
a
certain
change
which
he
noticed
in
the
other
's
tone
when
he
spoke
of
Miss
Stanley
.
He
had
sympathy
enough
for
her
,
goodness
knows
—
a
trifle
too
much
Roland
sometimes
thought
.
For
Litvinoff
to
be
a
bore
was
impossible
;
but
still
it
did
happen
rather
often
that
he
would
bring
forward
political
economy
of
the
most
startling
pattern
when
the
other
wanted
to
talk
literature
,
or
art
,
or
personal
grievances
.
On
this
particular
night
Roland
had
been
led
,
much
against
his
will
,
into
a
discussion
of
the
nature
which
Litvinoff
so
much
affected
,
and
he
had
to
admit
to
himself
that
,
as
usual
,
he
had
much
the
worst
of
it
.
'
It
's
all
very
well
,
'
he
said
(
people
always
say
,
'
It
's
all
very
well
,
'
when
they
can
find
no
other
answer
to
an
argument
)
;
'
it
's
all
very
well
,
and
that
sort
of
thing
may
do
for
Russia
,
but
you
will
never
get
an
economic
or
any
other
revolution
here
—
Why
what
the
deuce
is
all
that
row
?
'
'
That
row
'
was
a
tramping
of
many
feet
on
the
gravel
,
and
a
hum
of
voices
just
outside
the
window
.
Litvinoff
,
who
was
sitting
nearer
the
window
,
rose
and
looked
through
the
laths
of
the
venetian
blinds
.
'
Well
,
my
dear
Ferrier
,
'
he
said
,
turning
round
with
a
smile
,
'
it
strikes
me
that
there
is
a
revolution
in
England
,
and
that
it
has
begun
at
Thornsett
.
The
whole
population
of
Derbyshire
appears
to
have
assembled
in
your
front
garden
—
yes
,
that
's
it
,
evidently
,
'
he
went
on
,
as
a
ring
was
given
to
the
door
bell
,
'
and
they
are
going
to
try
gentle
measures
to
begin
with
,
just
as
I
have
always
advised
,
'
he
concluded
,
for
the
ring
was
not
a
loud
one
.
Roland
had
risen
from
his
easy-chair
and
had
made
towards
the
window
,
when
the
door
opened
and
the
maid
announced
that
Clayton
and
one
or
two
of
the
hands
wanted
to
speak
to
Mr
Ferrier
.
'
Show
them
in
,
'
said
Roland
curtly
;
and
,
as
she
withdrew
,
'
One
or
two
,
'
echoed
Litvinoff
;
'
that
young
woman
's
ideas
on
the
subject
of
numbers
are
limited
and
primitive
.
Now
,
Ferrier
,
just
repeat
those
arguments
you
have
been
using
against
me
,
and
I
doubt
not
,
so
lucid
and
convincing
are
they
,
that
they
will
reconcile
Clayton
and
the
"
hands
"
here
to
the
starvation
that
awaits
them
.
'
Only
three
men
followed
old
Clayton
as
he
entered
the
room
.
'
Well
,
my
men
,
'
said
Roland
Ferrier
,
turning
to
them
,
and
with
a
faint
irritation
in
his
tone
,
as
Litvinoff
,
leaning
one
elbow
on
the
mantelpiece
,
waved
a
recognition
to
the
deputation
,
'
What
can
I
do
for
you
at
this
time
of
night
?
'
'
Well
,
sir
,
'
began
Clayton
,
'
me
and
my
mates
here
has
come
to
speak
to
you
for
ourselves
and
them
as
is
outside
.
'
'
Who
are
numerous
and
noisy
,
'
murmured
the
Count
softly
to
himself
.
'
Well
,
go
on
,
'
said
Roland
,
chafing
.
'
We
knows
well
enow
,
'
continued
the
old
man
,
'
as
it
ai
n't
all
your
doing
as
t
'
mill
's
to
stop
,
but
we
thowt
as
you
might
work
things
so
as
to
make
it
easier
for
us
.
It
's
on'y
nat'ral
as
you
should
n't
know
till
it
's
put
to
you
what
stoppin
'
work
'
ill
mean
to
most
of
us
.
What
'
ill
it
mean
?
Why
,
hard
want
is
what
it
'
ill
mean
,
and
clemming
to
more
nor
one
.
So
wot
we
've
come
to
ask
is
,
wo
n't
you
keep
the
works
on
till
summer
comes
,
and
let
the
stoppin
'
be
a
bit
less
sudden
like
,
and
give
us
time
to
get
other
work
?
This
is
bitter
weather
,
and
it
's
bitter
hard
as
we
must
all
leave
our
homes
just
because
—
'
He
paused
in
some
confusion
.
'
Because
what
?
'
asked
Roland
sharply
.
'
Because
our
masters
has
fell
out
,
'
struck
in
No.
2
of
the
deputation
.
'
Look
here
,
my
men
,
'
Roland
stamped
his
foot
impatiently
,
'
I
thought
I
made
it
perfectly
clear
to
you
a
month
ago
that
the
closing
of
this
mill
was
no
fault
of
mine
.
Do
you
take
me
for
a
born
fool
?
Do
you
suppose
I
should
throw
away
this
money
if
I
could
help
it
?
Do
n't
you
know
I
lose
as
much
as
any
of
you
?
As
much
?
I
lose
more
than
all
of
you
put
together
.
'
'
Oh
,
just
division
of
profits
!
'
murmured
Litvinoff
confidentially
to
the
clock
on
the
mantelpiece
.
'
You
've
had
long
enough
notice
of
this
,
'
Roland
went
on
,
casting
a
goaded
glance
at
Litvinoff
;
'
why
did
n't
you
get
work
elsewhere
?
'
'
We
hoped
it
'
ud
blow
over
.
We
thought
perhaps
you
'd
make
it
up
with
Mr
Richard
;
and
we
thought
to-night
as
perhaps
,
if
we
told
you
straight
out
,
you
'd
go
to
him
.
'
'
Damn
!
'
hissed
Roland
,
between
his
teeth
.
'
I
wish
,
'
he
went
on
,
raising
his
voice
,
'
you
would
n't
talk
about
things
you
do
n't
understand
.
What
's
the
use
of
coming
up
like
this
in
the
middle
of
the
night
,
interfering
in
my
private
affairs
;
for
I
'd
have
you
know
my
brother
and
I
have
a
perfect
right
to
close
the
mill
or
keep
it
open
as
we
choose
.
As
for
you
,
Clayton
,
you
're
old
enough
to
know
better
than
to
come
up
here
at
midnight
with
all
the
riff-raff
of
the
village
at
your
heels
.
'
'
No
more
riff-raff
than
yourself
!
'
this
from
the
youngest
deputy
.
'
Hold
tha
noise
,
Jim
!
'
said
old
Clayton
.
'
The
other
lads
has
come
up
,
sir
,
because
they
thought
there
mout
be
some
good
news
,
and
they
'd
like
to
hear
'
em
as
soon
as
mout
be
.
'
'
Well
,
they
've
had
their
tramp
for
nothing
.
That
's
all
the
news
I
've
got
for
them
,
and
much
good
may
it
do
them
.
'
'
Well
,
well
,
sir
,
'
said
Clayton
,
'
we
did
n't
mean
no
harm
.
I
'll
tell
'
em
what
you
say
.
Good-night
,
sir
!
'
'
Good-night
,
Clayton
!
'
Roland
spoke
a
little
more
gently
.
'
I
'm
sorry
I
can
do
nothing
for
you
.
'
The
deputation
turned
to
go
.
Litvinoff
walked
across
the
room
and
shook
hands
with
each
man
as
he
passed
out
of
the
door
.
'
Good-night
,
my
friends
!
'
he
said
.
'
Keep
your
tempers
.
This
unfortunate
business
is
no
one
's
fault
.
It
's
the
fault
of
the
system
we
all
live
under
.
'
The
door
closed
upon
the
last
man
.
Roland
turned
angrily
on
his
guest
.
'
I
ca
n't
imagine
,
'
he
said
,
with
asperity
,
'
how
a
man
who
is
so
sensible
about
most
things
can
take
the
part
of
these
unreasonable
idiots
!
'
'
My
dear
Ferrier
,
'
relighting
the
cigar
which
had
gone
out
in
the
excitement
of
the
moment
,
'
of
course
I
've
the
very
greatest
sympathy
with
you
in
this
painful
business
,
and
I
know
how
little
it
is
your
fault
,
but
now
,
as
always
,
I
'm
on
the
side
of
the
workers
,
and
you
know
I
never
disguise
my
views
.
'
'
So
it
appears
,
'
Roland
was
beginning
,
when
the
murmur
of
voices
outside
gave
place
to
a
single
voice
—
that
of
one
of
the
deputies
,
who
seemed
to
be
speaking
to
the
men
.
Ferrier
and
his
guest
could
hear
the
shuffling
of
many
feet
on
the
gravel
as
the
men
crowded
round
the
speaker
.
When
he
stopped
there
was
a
tumult
of
hissing
and
yelling
and
groaning
—
a
noise
as
of
a
very
Pandemonium
let
loose
.
Roland
turned
to
Litvinoff
.
'
I
hope
you
're
proud
of
your
precious
protégés
?
'
he
said
,
and
at
the
same
moment
a
voice
outside
cried
,
—
'
Let
's
smash
the
cursed
walls
in
!
'
Old
Clayton
's
voice
sounded
thin
and
shrill
above
the
uproar
.
'
Do
n't
be
fools
,
lads
!
Come
away
!
Let
un
alone
!
Come
home
!
We
'll
do
no
good
here
.
'
The
men
seemed
to
hesitate
a
minute
,
and
then
to
obey
,
reluctantly
moving
towards
the
gate
.
'
They
have
gone
without
doing
anything
very
serious
,
you
see
,
'
said
the
Count
;
but
even
as
he
spoke
a
big
stone
,
thrown
by
some
strong
hand
,
came
crashing
through
the
window
,
and
rolled
,
muddy
and
grey
,
on
to
the
edge
of
the
soft
fur
hearthrug
.
'
Damn
!
'
cried
Roland
furiously
,
'
I
'll
have
the
fellow
who
did
that
,
anyway
.
'
He
made
a
dash
for
the
door
,
but
Litvinoff
caught
him
by
the
shoulders
,
and
there
was
a
struggle
,
silent
and
brief
,
which
ended
in
Roland
's
standing
still
,
and
looking
at
the
other
savagely
.
'
Stay
where
you
are
,
for
God
's
sake
!
'
shouted
the
Count
;
'
they
've
only
done
you
five
shillings
'
worth
of
damage
now
,
but
they
'll
perhaps
add
murder
to
it
if
you
go
outside
.
Do
be
reasonable
,
Ferrier
.
There
,
they
've
gone
now
;
and
if
you
went
out
you
could
n't
identify
the
man
who
did
it
.
'
Roland
turned
away
,
and
flung
himself
sulkily
into
a
chair
by
the
fire
.
'
I
suppose
you
're
right
,
'
he
said
;
'
but
I
shall
be
deuced
glad
to
be
out
of
the
whole
thing
.
'
It
was
perhaps
as
well
for
Roland
's
self-esteem
and
peace
of
mind
that
he
did
not
hear
the
strictures
that
were
passed
upon
him
by
the
men
as
they
returned
towards
the
village
.
Hope
deferred
maketh
the
heart
sick
,
but
when
a
new-born
hope
is
killed
,
and
killed
cruelly
and
suddenly
,
there
comes
sometimes
something
more
terrible
than
heart-sickness
and
more
dangerous
.
The
moon
had
flung
aside
the
slight
mist
which
had
covered
her
face
earlier
in
the
evening
,
and
now
shone
full
on
the
valley
,
towards
which
the
crowd
were
making
their
way
.
As
they
turned
the
corner
which
brought
them
in
sight
of
the
mill
whose
doors
none
of
them
were
to
pass
again
,
a
burst
of
curses
and
oaths
broke
from
the
men
and
fell
on
the
still
air
,
violating
and
outraging
the
peace
and
beauty
of
the
night
.
At
this
moment
Hatfield
and
Murdoch
,
walking
together
from
the
village
to
meet
them
,
came
up
and
were
promptly
informed
of
the
result
of
the
interview
.
'
Ay
,
ay
,
lads
!
'
said
old
Murdoch
.
'
What
did
Ah
tell
ye
?
as
Ah
thowt
.
'
Then
looking
down
at
the
mill
he
pointed
towards
it
,
and
went
on
in
a
loud
voice
,
'
Ye
shall
best
have
another
try
now
.
Go
down
and
beg
o
'
t
'
door-posts
o
'
t
'
owd
mill
to
take
ye
on
again
.
Ye
'll
be
as
likely
to
get
a
good
hearing
fro
'
them
as
ye
were
fro
'
t
'
young
puppy
up
yonder
;
and
they
'll
not
be
laughing
at
ye
as
soon
as
yer
turned
,
anyway
.
'
This
last
suggestion
had
the
effect
that
Murdoch
probably
wished
it
to
have
.
At
once
a
dozen
voices
were
raised
for
going
back
to
Thornsett
Edge
,
and
not
leaving
a
pane
of
glass
in
the
window-sashes
.
The
man
who
had
thrown
the
stone
before
at
once
became
a
small
hero
,
and
met
with
numerous
offers
of
assistance
in
going
back
and
completing
the
work
he
had
begun
.
Not
a
few
of
the
men
were
excited
by
drink
as
well
as
by
rage
,
having
taken
considerably
more
than
was
good
for
them
before
they
started
on
the
forlorn
hope
,
and
the
excitement
of
these
men
communicated
itself
by
those
mysterious
means
which
only
manifest
themselves
on
these
occasions
to
the
men
who
were
sober
.
Roland
Ferrier
's
words
,
passing
from
mouth
to
mouth
,
had
been
added
to
and
altered
so
much
that
in
the
prevailing
state
of
mind
each
man
felt
that
he
personally
had
been
insulted
and
outraged
by
the
man
of
whom
he
had
asked
the
small
favour
of
being
allowed
to
continue
to
work
until
the
winter-tide
had
passed
.
The
idea
of
returning
and
wrecking
the
Ferriers
'
house
became
every
moment
more
and
more
popular
,
and
the
crowd
had
actually
faced
round
and
begun
that
swaying
movement
which
in
an
undisciplined
body
always
,
for
a
moment
or
two
,
precedes
a
start
,
when
Hatfield
spoke
out
at
the
top
of
his
voice
,
—
'
See
here
,
'
he
said
.
'
In
a
few
weeks
now
we
shall
all
be
gone
to
different
parts
,
some
on
us
to
"
the
house
.
"
Most
like
,
when
that
's
done
,
when
we
're
tramping
the
country
far
an
'
wide
,
and
seeking
the
work
we
're
turned
out
of
here
,
they
two
'
—
pointing
towards
Thornsett
Edge
—
'
'
ll
get
tired
o
'
goin
'
without
their
brass
so
long
,
maybe
,
an
'
'
ill
make
up
the
quarrel
,
and
come
back
and
start
the
mill
again
,
with
a
new
lot
o
'
hands
,
to
live
i
'
our
homes
and
eat
the
bread
we
're
done
out
off
.
'
This
new
view
of
the
case
was
received
with
a
moment
's
silence
by
the
hands
;
then
a
voice
from
the
rear
spoke
out
,
—
'
Na
,
na
,
they
'
ont
,
not
if
I
can
stop
it
;
let
's
break
t
'
ow
'd
mill
to
bits
,
and
give
the
new
hands
the
job
to
build
it
up
again
afore
they
work
it
.
'
This
suggestion
,
probably
because
its
adoption
was
a
trifle
less
dangerous
than
wrecking
a
house
,
some
of
whose
inmates
were
young
men
—
possibly
young
men
with
firearms
—
was
received
with
almost
unanimous
applause
.
In
less
time
than
it
takes
to
tell
,
a
hundred
pieces
of
the
rock
of
which
the
Derbyshire
walls
are
built
had
begun
to
rattle
on
the
roof
and
smash
the
windows
of
the
mill
below
,
and
two
or
three
pairs
of
strong
arms
had
torn
away
a
huge
boulder
of
grey
stone
which
,
held
in
its
place
by
creepers
and
earth
,
overhung
the
descent
,
and
had
set
it
rolling
down
the
steep
decline
.
It
bounded
on
to
the
slated
roof
of
the
mill
,
and
with
a
great
crash
went
right
through
it
,
leaving
a
large
black
gap
.
Then
the
men
set
up
a
yell
that
made
the
country
round
ring
again
.
When
it
had
died
away
old
Murdoch
,
who
was
beside
himself
with
excitement
,
shouted
out
,
'
Why
waste
yer
time
i
'
chuckin
'
stones
at
the
danged
place
,
lads
?
Get
down
t
'
hill
and
burn
it
to
the
ground
.
'
Another
yell
of
approval
greeted
the
proposition
,
and
in
a
few
seconds
the
hill-top
was
deserted
,
and
the
crowd
,
swayed
by
an
irresistible
impulse
,
was
scrambling
down
the
rocky
decline
and
making
for
the
mill
.
The
shout
that
had
been
sent
up
when
the
hole
had
been
knocked
in
the
roof
had
reached
the
quick
ears
of
Count
Litvinoff
sitting
smoking
in
silence
opposite
his
host
.
He
got
out
of
his
chair
.
'
I
have
a
bit
of
a
headache
to-night
,
'
he
said
,
'
I
do
n't
think
arguing
agrees
with
me
.
I
'll
just
go
and
take
a
turn
across
the
moor
.
'
'
All
right
,
'
said
Roland
.
'
I
wo
n't
turn
in
till
you
come
back
.
'
Litvinoff
sauntered
out
of
the
room
and
across
the
hall
,
took
a
stout
oak
stick
from
the
hall-stand
,
and
,
opening
the
front-door
,
strolled
leisurely
down
the
carriage
drive
.
But
directly
he
was
out
in
the
road
he
pulled
his
hat
down
tightly
upon
his
ears
,
vaulted
a
low
stone
wall
and
set
off
running
in
the
direction
of
the
mill
as
though
a
thousand
devils
were
following
at
his
heels
.
FIRE
!
TO
run
at
full
speed
across
a
Derbyshire
moor
by
the
uncertain
light
of
a
wintry
moon
is
a
feat
not
unattended
with
difficulty
and
danger
,
especially
when
the
runner
is
not
quite
accustomed
to
the
course
;
but
it
would
have
taken
greater
pitfalls
than
even
those
moors
present
to
have
made
Count
Litvinoff
choose
a
longer
and
easier
way
.
For
when
that
shout
had
been
borne
to
him
on
the
wind
he
scented
excitement
and
danger
,
and
excitement
and
danger
were
to
him
as
the
breath
of
life
.
He
was
almost
certain
that
the
men
meant
mischief
,
and
he
intended
to
do
his
best
to
prevent
it
.
His
sympathies
really
were
,
as
he
had
told
Roland
,
entirely
with
them
,
and
he
was
genuinely
anxious
that
they
should
not
add
a
criminal
prosecution
for
riot
to
their
other
troubles
.
At
the
same
time
he
looked
forward
with
some
pleasure
to
the
scene
in
which
he
was
now
hastening
to
take
a
part
.
He
had
been
in
a
fretful
and
irritable
state
of
mind
ever
since
he
had
left
London
,
and
he
cordially
welcomed
a
row
,
and
did
not
care
much
if
in
that
row
he
got
a
knock
on
the
head
that
would
put
an
end
to
his
visit
and
his
life
at
the
same
time
.
At
any
rate
,
the
situation
offered
a
chance
of
action
,
and
it
was
action
more
than
anything
that
he
had
been
longing
for
lately
.
As
he
got
nearer
the
valley
in
which
the
mill
lay
he
was
able
to
form
a
better
idea
of
what
was
toward
,
for
the
shouts
seemed
to
get
louder
and
louder
.
He
quickened
his
pace
at
the
moment
when
he
reached
the
brow
of
the
hill
,
from
the
foot
of
which
all
the
noise
and
clamour
arose
,
and
paused
,
looking
down
;
a
lurid
flash
of
flame
lighted
up
for
an
instant
the
semi-darkness
before
him
,
and
as
suddenly
died
out
again
.
'
Diable
!
'
he
said
.
'
I
shall
be
too
late
for
anything
.
I
have
some
power
over
men
,
but
I
am
not
a
fire-engine
—
'
He
made
the
descent
rather
more
cautiously
,
though
not
much
less
rapidly
,
than
he
had
done
the
rest
of
the
journey
,
and
pushed
his
way
through
the
little
wood
to
within
a
hundred
yards
or
so
of
the
mill
.
Then
he
stopped
,
peering
forward
to
ascertain
the
exact
state
of
things
before
he
went
on
.
The
mill
was
not
one
of
those
square
,
many-windowed
blocks
which
remind
one
of
children
's
toy-houses
,
but
a
group
of
irregular
buildings
of
all
sorts
and
sizes
,
built
of
grey
stone
and
roofed
with
slate
.
There
was
a
paved
yard
surrounded
by
outhouses
,
some
mere
sheds
of
wood
and
thatch
,
and
it
was
round
the
outhouse
nearest
to
the
mill
itself
that
the
men
were
crowding
.
There
was
plenty
of
light
now
for
Litvinoff
to
discern
every
detail
of
the
scene
before
him
,
for
two
sheds
were
on
fire
and
burning
merrily
in
the
frosty
air
.
The
door
of
a
certain
room
where
he
remembered
to
have
seen
quantities
of
cotton
waste
and
inflammable
rubbish
,
and
which
opened
directly
on
to
the
yard
,
had
been
battered
in
by
the
men
,
and
,
the
hinges
having
given
way
,
hung
crookedly
by
its
strained
,
bent
,
but
still
strong
,
lock
.
Some
of
the
men
were
hurrying
to
and
fro
between
this
room
and
the
outbuilding
,
carrying
armfuls
of
wood
and
straw
,
and
these
men
were
for
the
most
part
silent
.
The
shouting
,
of
which
there
was
a
good
deal
,
was
done
by
those
who
were
doing
nothing
else
.
Count
Litvinoff
had
not
been
the
only
one
to
hear
that
first
yell
,
and
to
interpret
it
as
the
note
of
something
unusual
,
for
dark
heads
were
moving
along
the
brow
of
the
hill
on
the
other
side
,
and
dark
figures
were
hurrying
down
the
stone
steps
.
The
situation
was
obvious
,
and
it
was
obvious
too
that
no
time
was
to
be
lost
,
for
the
crowd
was
becoming
wilder
and
wilder
,
drunk
with
the
strong
wine
of
excitement
as
well
as
with
the
more
habitual
beer
.
Rioting
,
like
everything
else
,
grows
by
what
it
feeds
on
,
and
the
higher
the
flames
went
the
higher
rose
the
cries
that
accompanied
them
.
There
is
always
something
exciting
about
a
fire
—
in
the
breaking
loose
of
the
tremendous
force
which
we
keep
mostly
as
our
servant
.
The
fire
was
still
small
enough
to
be
quenched
if
its
originators
so
chose
,
but
they
saw
well
enough
that
soon
it
would
be
beyond
their
control
,
and
would
be
their
master
in
the
place
where
it
had
been
their
slave
.
And
they
,
too
,
had
broken
from
their
old
place
to-night
.
They
were
no
longer
the
humble
dependants
of
a
rich
man
.
Their
hand
was
against
him
,
and
against
all
his
class
,
and
the
new
sense
of
independent
,
self-chosen
action
was
intoxicating
them
all
,
and
had
driven
far
from
them
all
thought
of
forbearance
or
of
fear
.
For
there
was
danger
to
the
men
themselves
in
this
hell
they
were
making
.
The
out-buildings
and
the
mill
formed
a
square
,
and
,
once
kindled
,
all
would
burn
rapidly
;
and
,
from
the
slight
eminence
where
he
stood
,
the
onlooker
,
cool
and
free
from
the
madness
that
surged
in
the
brain
of
the
actors
,
could
see
plainly
that
the
incendiaries
ran
a
very
fair
chance
of
being
caught
in
their
own
trap
,
and
of
perishing
like
rats
in
a
barn
.
The
big
iron
gates
were
closed
immovably
,
and
the
only
exit
was
by
a
narrow
door
.
If
once
a
panic
began
,
and
the
men
lost
their
heads
in
trying
to
pass
this
door
,
there
might
be
a
tragedy
more
terrible
than
Litvinoff
cared
to
contemplate
.
He
knew
that
if
once
the
fire
began
in
the
mill
itself
there
would
be
no
chance
of
saving
it
,
or
anything
else
,
and
he
could
see
that
the
men
were
beginning
to
drag
burning
fragments
from
the
out-buildings
,
and
he
knew
that
they
would
be
dragged
to
that
room
with
the
broken-in
door
.
He
paused
no
longer
.
That
door
was
the
point
d'appui
of
the
defence
,
and
for
that
door
he
made
.
He
came
rapidly
down
the
hill
and
along
the
path
that
led
to
the
little
gate
by
which
alone
entrance
to
the
yard
could
be
effected
.
In
the
confusion
of
hurrying
figures
no
one
noticed
the
one
figure
more
which
,
in
a
few
strides
,
crossed
the
yard
and
planted
itself
just
inside
that
broken
door
.
Count
Litvinoff
glanced
behind
him
and
by
the
lurid
glare
of
the
burning
timber
opposite
he
could
see
the
pile
of
straw
and
faggots
in
the
room
ready
for
the
horrible
bonfire
.
Just
inside
the
lintel
of
the
door
something
lay
on
the
floor
,
gleaming
redly
in
the
firelight
.
He
picked
it
up
;
it
was
a
light
,
bright
,
long-handled
steel
hatchet
.
'
Aha
,
'
he
said
;
'
this
is
a
gift
from
the
gods
!
'
As
he
faced
the
yard
,
a
great
noise
of
mingled
cheers
and
shouts
went
up
from
the
crowd
.
It
was
not
because
they
had
seen
their
solitary
opponent
,
but
because
the
attack
on
what
they
thought
the
undefended
mill
was
about
to
begin
in
earnest
.
All
the
active
members
of
the
riot
were
making
for
the
door
,
headed
by
half-a-dozen
stalwart
fellows
dragging
blazing
timbers
.
'
Stop
!
'
shouted
Litvinoff
,
in
a
voice
that
rang
above
the
confused
shouting
of
the
crowd
like
a
trumpet
call
.
And
stop
they
did
—
and
for
quite
twenty
seconds
held
their
tongues
,
to
boot
.
Then
arose
a
storm
of
indignation
and
derision
when
they
saw
that
only
one
man
stood
in
the
way
.
They
could
not
see
who
he
was
,
and
they
cared
little
.
The
leaders
made
a
forward
movement
,
when
—
'
Stop
!
'
he
cried
again
,
and
his
tones
rose
clear
above
the
yells
of
the
rioters
,
and
were
heard
by
timorous
listeners
on
the
hillside
.
'
Stop
,
and
clear
out
of
this
as
quick
as
you
can
get
!
Get
to
your
homes
,
you
fools
!
'
'
Clear
out
yourself
,
'
said
a
ringleader
,
'
or
we
'll
clear
you
out
!
'
But
the
forward
movement
had
stopped
.
A
parley
had
begun
,
and
Litvinoff
always
felt
that
a
chance
of
speaking
meant
for
him
a
chance
of
winning
.
'
Put
out
that
fire
,
and
get
back
to
your
homes
!
'
he
cried
.
'
I
've
come
down
here
to
save
you
from
penal
servitude
,
and
I
mean
to
do
it
.
Not
a
man
of
you
gets
inside
this
door
!
'
By
this
time
all
the
crowd
had
come
up
,
and
formed
a
semicircle
in
front
of
him
,
about
fifteen
yards
off
.
They
could
see
his
face
better
than
he
could
see
theirs
,
for
the
light
of
the
flames
behind
them
fell
full
upon
him
.
He
was
deadly
pale
,
but
he
looked
deadly
determined
too
.
There
was
a
dangerous
gleam
in
his
eyes
,
and
a
gleam
still
more
dangerous
from
the
bright
blade
of
the
axe
which
he
had
swung
up
on
to
his
shoulder
.
Standing
on
the
raised
step
of
the
door
he
looked
tall
and
strong
and
bold
.
Already
the
effect
of
this
lion
in
the
path
made
itself
felt
,
for
a
faint
cheer
went
up
from
the
outside
edge
of
the
crowd
,
and
a
voice
cried
,
—
'
He
's
right
.
Let
un
be
,
lads
—
let
un
be
,
and
go
yer
ways
home
.
'
'
All
those
of
you
who
've
got
any
sense
left
turn
round
and
put
out
that
fire
.
The
work
you
've
done
to-night
already
is
worth
ten
years
in
prison
.
'
'
Then
let
's
finish
our
work
,
lads
,
and
earn
our
wages
!
Ten
years
'
good
feedin
's
better
nor
a
month
's
clemmin
'
,
'
shouted
a
burly
young
fellow
of
some
six
feet
.
'
Well
said
,
Isaac
Potts
!
'
cried
more
than
one
.
'
Dang
his
cheek
!
Heave
him
out
of
it
!
'
And
some
half-dozen
rushed
forward
to
suit
the
action
to
the
word
,
foremost
among
them
Isaac
Potts
.
In
the
position
Litvinoff
had
taken
up
,
it
was
impossible
for
more
than
one
man
to
attack
him
at
a
time
.
As
the
young
mill
hand
,
armed
with
a
piece
of
wood
still
smouldering
redly
,
sprang
to
lead
the
attack
,
a
woman
's
voice
—
his
sweetheart
's
—
sounded
shrilly
from
behind
the
crowd
,
—
'
Keep
back
,
Isaac
—
keep
back
;
he
'll
brain
thee
for
sure
!
'
The
warning
was
unheeded
,
or
,
if
the
young
man
heard
it
,
it
only
urged
him
on
.
He
stopped
an
instant
,
hurled
the
wood
at
Litvinoff
's
head
,
and
sprang
forward
to
follow
up
his
missile
.
The
aim
was
not
a
good
one
.
The
brand
only
hit
the
door
lintel
,
struck
out
a
shower
of
sparks
,
and
fell
across
the
step
.
It
was
an
unlucky
miss
for
Isaac
.
Litvinoff
planted
one
foot
firmly
,
and
gave
his
axe
a
swing
.
It
came
down
crashing
through
collar-bone
and
shoulder
blade
,
and
almost
severing
the
arm
from
the
body
.
Isaac
staggered
back
upon
the
men
behind
him
,
covering
them
with
blood
as
he
fell
.
There
was
a
silence
of
a
moment
,
which
seemed
long
.
The
crowd
drew
a
deep
breath
.
All
the
devil
in
Litvinoff
's
nature
was
roused
now
.
'
Come
on
,
you
madmen
!
'
he
cried
,
as
he
recovered
himself
and
brought
his
axe
to
the
shoulder
again
.
'
Come
on
!
Get
into
this
room
now
if
you
can
!
'
But
the
general
ambition
to
get
into
that
room
was
a
little
damped
somehow
,
and
the
few
who
had
been
close
on
Isaac
's
heels
fell
back
,
and
left
him
alone
,
all
but
one
man
,
who
stood
glaring
into
Litvinoff
's
eyes
.
He
held
a
heavy
iron
bar
in
his
hand
.
'
Back
you
go
,
or
down
you
go
!
'
shouted
Litvinoff
,
making
a
step
towards
him
,
and
giving
the
axe
a
swing
in
the
air
.
The
man
did
not
wait
for
the
blow
.
He
retreated
,
and
joined
the
crowd
just
as
the
girl
who
had
shrieked
that
warning
tore
her
way
through
to
the
place
where
her
lover
was
lying
,
and
bent
over
him
.
Litvinoff
brought
his
weapon
to
his
side
.
Then
he
said
quietly
,
—
'
I
told
you
none
of
you
should
get
into
this
room
,
and
none
of
you
shall
,
by
God
!
if
I
have
to
treat
twenty
of
you
to
the
same
fare
as
this
poor
fellow
.
If
you
're
sane
men
,
pick
him
up
and
see
to
him
,
and
perhaps
nothing
worse
may
come
to
you
after
all
.
Remember
that
every
man
who
does
not
help
to
put
that
fire
out
breaks
the
law
.
For
Heaven
's
sake
be
reasonable
men
.
There
are
some
here
who
know
me
.
Do
you
think
