the friendly road-第32章

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his　bulging　pockets　beating　against　my　leg。　I　had　not　the　slightest　idea　where　they　were　going；　but　Bill　held　me　by　the　arm　and　presently　we　came；　a　block　or　so　distant；　to　a　dark；　narrow　stairway　leading　up　from　the　street。　I　recall　the　stumbling　sound　of　steps　on　the　wooden　boards；　a　laugh　or　two；　the　high　voice　of　a　woman　asserting　and　denying。　Feeling　our　way　along　the　wall；　we　came　to　the　top　and　went　into　a　long；　low；　rather　dimly　lighted　room　set　about　with　tables　and　chairsa　sort　of　restaurant。　A　number　of　men　and　a　few　women　had　already　gathered　there。　Among　them　my　eyes　instantly　singled　out　a　huge；　rough…looking　man　who　stood　at　the　centre　of　an　animated　group。　He　had　thick；　shaggy　hair；　and　one　side　of　his　face　over　the　cheekbone　was　of　a　dull　blue…black　and　raked　and　scarred；　where　it　had　been　burned　in　a　Powder　blast。　He　had　been　a　miner。　His　gray　eyes；　which　had　a　surprisingly　youthful　and　even　humorous　expression；　looked　out　from　under　coarse；　thick；　gray　brows。　A　very　remarkable　face　and　figure　he　presented。　I　soon　learned　that　he　was　R…　D…；　the　leader　of　whom　I　had　often　heard；　and　heard　no　good　thing。　He　was　quite　a　different　type　from　Bill　Hahn：　he　was　the　man　of　authority；　the　organizer；　the　diplomatas　Bill　was　the　prophet；　preaching　a　holy　war。

How　wonderful　human　nature　is！　Only　a　short　time　before　I　had　been　thrilled　by　the　intensity　of　the　passion　of　the　throng；　but　here　the　mood　suddenly　changed　to　one　of　friendly　gayety。　Fully　a　third　of　those　present　were　women；　some　of　them　plainly　from　the　mills　and　some　of　them　curiously　differentwomen　from　other　walks　in　life　who　had　thrown　themselves　heart　and　soul　into　the　strike。　Without　ceremony　but　with　much　laughing　and　joking；　they　found　their　places　around　the　tables。　A　cook；　who　appeared　in　a　dim　doorway　was　greeted　with　a　shout；　to　which　he　responded　with　a　wide　smile；　waving　the　long　spoon　which　he　held　in　his　hand。

I　shall　not　attempt　to　give　any　complete　description　of　the　gathering　or　of　what　they　said　or　did。　I　think　I　could　devote　a　dozen　pages　to　the　single　man　who　was　placed　next　to　me。　I　was　interested　in　him　from　the　outset。　The　first　thing　that　struck　me　about　him　was　an　air　of　neatness；　even　fastidiousness；　about　his　personthough　he　wore　no　stiff　collar；　only　a　soft　woollen　shirt　without　a　necktie。　He　had　the　long　sensitive；　beautiful　hands　of　an　artist；　but　his　face　was　thin　and　marked　with　the　pallor　peculiar　to　the　indoor　worker。　I　soon　learned　that　he　was　a　weaver　in　the　mills；　an　Englishman　by　birth；　and　we　had　not　talked　two　minutes　before　I　found　that；　while　he　had　never　had　any　education　in　the　schools；　he　had　been　a　gluttonous　reader　of　books　all　kind　of　booksand；　what　is　more；　had　thought　about　them　and　was　ready　with　vigorous　（and　narrow）　opinions　about　this　author　or　that。　And　he　knew　more　about　economics　and　sociology；　I　firmly　believe；　than　half　the　college　professors。　A　truly　remarkable　man。

It　was　an　Italian　restaurant；　and　I　remember　how；　in　my　hunger；　I　assailed　the　generous　dishes　of　boiled　meat　and　spaghetti。　A　red　wine　was　served　in　large　bottles　which　circulated　rapidly　around　the　table；　and　almost　immediately　the　room　began　to　fill　with　tobacco　smoke。　Every　one　seemed　to　be　talking　and　laughing　at　once；　in　the　liveliest　spirit　of　good　fellowship。　They　joked　from　table　to　table；　and　sometimes　the　whole　room　would　quiet　down　while　some　one　told　a　joke；　which　invariably　wound　up　with　a　roar　of　laughter。

〃Why；〃　I　said；　〃these　people　have　a　whole　life；　a　whole　society；　of　their　own！〃

In　the　midst　of　this　jollity　the　clear　voice　of　a　girl　rang　out　with　the　first　lines　of　a　song。　Instantly　the　room　was　hushed：

Arise；　ye　prisoners　of　starvation；　Arise；　ye　wretched　of　the　earth；　For　justice　thunders　condemnation　A　better　world's　in　birth。

These　were　the　words　she　sang；　and　when　the　clear；　sweet　voice　died　down　the　whole　company；　as　though　by　a　common　impulse；　arose　from　their　chairs；　and　joined　in　a　great　swelling　chorus：

It　is　the　final　conflict；　Let　each　stand　in　his　place；　The　Brotherhood　of　Man　Shall　be　the　human　race。

It　was　beyond　belief；　to　me；　the　spirit　with　which　these　words　were　sung。　In　no　sense　with　jollityall　that　seemed　to　have　been　dropped　when　they　came　to　their　feetbut　with　an　unmistakable　fervour　of　faith。　Some　of　the　things　I　had　thought　and　dreamed　about　secretly　among　the　hills　of　my　farm　all　these　years；　dreamed　about　as　being　something　far　off　and　as　unrealizable　as　the　millennium；　were　here　being　sung　abroad？　with　jaunty　faith　by　these　weavers　of　Kilburn；　these　weavers　and　workers　whom　I　had　schooled　myself　to　regard　with　a　sort　of　distant　pity。

Hardly　had　the　company　sat　down　again；　with　a　renewal　of　the　flow　of　jolly　conversation　When　I　heard　a　rapping　on　one　of　the　tables。　I　saw　the　great　form　of　R…　D…　slowly　rising。

〃Brothers　and　sisters；〃　he　said；　〃a　word　of　caution。　The　authorities　will　lose　no　chance　of　putting　us　in　the　wrong。　Above　all　we　must　comport　ourselves　here　and　in　the　strike　with　great　care。　We　are　fighting　a　great　battle；　bigger　than　we　are〃

At　this　instant　the　door　from　the　dark　hallway　suddenly　opened　and　a　man　in　a　policeman's　uniform　stepped　in。　There　fell　an　instant's　dead　silencean　explosive　silence。　Every　person　there　seemed　to　be　petrified　in　the　position　in　which　his　attention　was　attracted。　Every　eye　was　fixed　on　the　figure　at　the　door。　For　an　instant　no　one　said　a　word；　then　I　heard　a　woman's　shrill　voice；　like　a　rifle…shot：

〃Assassin！〃

I　cannot　imagine　what　might　have　happened　next；　for　the　feeling　in　the　room；　as　in　the　city　itself；　was　at　the　tenses；　had　not　the　leader　suddenly　brought　the　goblet　which　he　held　in　his　hand　down　with　a　bang　upon　the　table。

〃As　I　was　saying；〃　he　continued　in　a　steady；　clear　voice；　〃we　are　fighting　to…day　the　greatest　of　battles；　and　we　cannot　permit　trivial　incidents；　or　personal　bitterness；　or　small　persecutions；　to　turn　us　from　the　great　work　we　have　in　hand。　However　our　opponents　may　comport　themselves；　we　must　be　calm；　steady；　sure；　patient；　for　we　know　that　our　cause　is　just　and　will　prevail。〃

〃You're　right；〃　shouted　a　voice　back　in　the　room。

Instantly　the　tension　relaxed；　conversation　started　again　and　every　one　turned　away　from　the　policeman　at　the　door。　In　a　few　minutes；　he　disappeared　without　having　said　a　word。

There　was　no　regular　speaking；　and　about　midnight　the　party　began　to　break　up。　I　leaned　over　and　said　to　my　friend　Bill　Hahn：

〃Can　you　find　me　a　place　to　sleep　tonight？〃

〃Certainly　I　can；〃　he　said　heartily。

There　was　to　be　a　brief　conference　of　the　leaders　after　the　supper；　and　those　present　soon　departed。　I　went　down　the　long；　dark　stairway　and　out　into　the　almost　deserted　street。　Looking　up　between　the　buildings　I　could　see　the　clear　blue　sky　and　the　stars。　And　I　walked　slowly　up　and　down　awaiting　my　friend　and　trying；　vainly　to　calm　my　whirling　emotions。

He　came　at　last　and　I　went　with　him。　That　night　I　slept　scarcely　at　all；　but　lay　looking　up　into　the　darkness。　And　it　seemed　as　though；　as　I　lay　there；　listening；　that　I　could　hear　the　city　moving　in　its　restless　sleep　and　sighing　as　with　heavy　pain。　All　night　long　I　lay　there　thinking。



CHAPTER　XI。　I　COME　TO　GRAPPLE　WITH　THE　CITY　I　have　laughed　heartily　many　times　since　I　came　home　to　think　of　the　Figure　of　Tragedy　I　felt　myself　that　morning　in　the　city　of　Kilburn。　I　had　not　slept　well；　had　not　slept　at　all；　I　think；　and　the　experiences　and　emotions　of　the　previous　night　still　lay　heavy　upon　me。　Not　before　in　many　years　had　I　felt　such　a　depression　of　the　spirits。

It　was　all　so　different　from　the　things　I　love！　Not　so　much　as　a　spear　of　grass　or　a　leafy　tree　to　comfort　the　eye；　or　a　bird　to　sing；　no　quiet　hills；　no　sight　of　the　sun　coming　up　in　the　morning　over　dewy　fields；　no　sound　of　cattle　in　the　lane；　no　cheerful　cackling　of　fowls；　nor　buzzing　of　bees！　That　morning；　I　remember；　when　I　first　went　out　into　those　squalid　streets　and　saw　everywhere　the　evidences　of　poverty；　dirt；　and　ignoranceand　the　sweet；　clean　country　not　two　miles　awaythe　thought　of　my　own　home　among　the　hills　（with　Harriet　there　in　the　doorway）　came　upon　me　with　incredible　longing。

〃I　must　go　home；　I　must　go　home！〃　I　caught　myse