the ragged trousered philanthropists-第39章

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othing　about　it！　　But　they　were　‘Christians'　all　the　same。　　They　believed　that　the　Bible　was　the　word　of　God；　but　they　didn't　know　where　it　came　from；　how　long　it　had　been　in　existence；　who　wrote　it；　who　translated　it　or　how　many　different　versions　there　were。　Most　of　them　were　almost　totally　unacquainted　with　the　contents　of　the　book　itself。　　But　all　the　same；　they　believed　it　…　after　a　fashion。

‘But　puttin'　all　jokes　aside；'　said　Philpot；　‘I　can't　believe　there's　sich　a　place　as　'ell。　　There　may　be　some　kind　of　punishment；　but　I　don't　believe　it's　a　real　fire。'

‘Nor　nobody　else；　what's　got　any　sense；'　replied　Harlow；　contemptuously。

‘I　believe　as　THIS　world　is　'ell；'　said　Crass；　looking　around　with　a　philosophic　expression。　　This　opinion　was　echoed　by　most　of　the　others；　although　Slyme　remained　silent　and　Owen　laughed。

‘Wot　the　bloody　'ell　are　YOU　laughin'　at？'　Crass　demanded　in　an　indignant　tone。

‘I　was　laughing　because　you　said　you　think　this　world　is　hell。'

‘Well；　I　don't　see　nothing　to　laugh　at　in　that；'　said　Crass。

‘So　it　IS　a　'ell；'　said　Easton。　　‘There　can't　be　anywheres　much　worse　than　this。'

‘'Ear；　'ear；'　said　the　man　behind　the　moat。

‘What　I　was　laughing　at　is　this；'　said　Owen。　　‘The　present　system　of　managing　the　affairs　of　the　world　is　so　bad　and　has　produced　such　dreadful　results　that　you　are　of　the　opinion　that　the　earth　is　a　hell：　and　yet　you　are　a　Conservative！　　You　wish　to　preserve　the　present　system　…　the　system　which　has　made　the　world　into　a　hell！'

‘I　thought　we　shouldn't　get　through　the　dinner　hour　without　politics　if　Owen　was　'ere；'　growled　Bundy。　　‘Bloody　sickenin'　I　call　it。'

‘Don't　be　'ard　on　'im；'　said　Philpot。　　‘'E's　been　very　quiet　for　the　last　few　days。'

‘We'll　'ave　to　go　through　it　today；　though；'　remarked　Harlow　despairingly。　　‘I　can　see　it　comin'。'

‘I'M　not　goin'　through　it；'　said　Bundy；　‘I'm　orf！'　　And　he　accordingly　drank　the　remainder　of　his　tea；　closed　his　empty　dinner　basket　and；　having　placed　it　on　the　mantelshelf；　made　for　the　door。

‘I'll　leave　you　to　it；'　he　said　as　he　went　out。　　The　others　laughed。

Crass；　remembering　the　cutting　from　the　Obscurer　that　he　had　in　his　pocket；　was　secretly　very　pleased　at　the　turn　the　conversation　was　taking。　　He　turned　roughly　on　Owen：

‘The　other　day；　when　we　was　talkin'　about　the　cause　of　poverty；　you　contradicted　everybody。　　Everyone　else　was　wrong！　　But　you　yourself　couldn't　tell　us　what's　the　cause　of　poverty；　could　you？'

‘I　think　I　could。'

‘Oh；　of　course；　you　think　you　know；'　sneered　Crass；　‘and　of　course　you　think　your　opinion's　right　and　everybody　else's　is　wrong。'

‘Yes；'　replied　Owen。

Several　men　expressed　their　abhorrence　of　this　intolerant　attitude　of　Owen's；　but　the　latter　rejoined：

‘Of　course　I　think　that　my　opinions　are　right　and　that　everyone　who　differs　from　me　is　wrong。　　If　I　didn't　think　their　opinions　were　wrong　I　wouldn't　differ　from　them。　　If　I　didn't　think　my　own　opinions　right　I　wouldn't　hold　them。'

‘But　there's　no　need　to　keep　on　arguin'　about　it　day　after　day；'　said　Crass。　　‘You've　got　your　opinion　and　I've　got　mine。　　Let　everyone　enjoy　his　own　opinion；　I　say。'

A　murmur　of　approbation　from　the　crowd　greeted　these　sentiments；　but　Owen　rejoined：

‘But　we　can't　both　be　right；　if　your　opinions　are　right　and　mine　are　not；　how　am　I　to　find　out　the　truth　if　we　never　talk　about　them？'

‘Well；　wot　do　you　reckon　is　the　cause　of　poverty；　then？'　demanded　Easton。

‘The　present　system　…　competition　…　capitalism。'

‘It's　all　very　well　to　talk　like　that；'　snarled　Crass；　to　whom　this　statement　conveyed　no　meaning　whatever。　　‘But　'ow　do　you　make　it　out？'

‘Well；　I　put　it　like　that　for　the　sake　of　shortness；'　replied　Owen。　‘Suppose　some　people　were　living　in　a　house　…'

‘More　supposin'！'　sneered　Crass。

‘And　suppose　they　were　always　ill；　and　suppose　that　the　house　was　badly　built；　the　walls　so　constructed　that　they　drew　and　retained　moisture；　the　roof　broken　and　leaky；　the　drains　defective；　the　doors　and　windows　ill…fitting　and　the　rooms　badly　shaped　and　draughty。　　If　you　were　asked　to　name；　in　a　word；　the　cause　of　the　ill…health　of　the　people　who　lived　there　you　would　say　…　the　house。　　All　the　tinkering　in　the　world　would　not　make　that　house　fit　to　live　in；　the　only　thing　to　do　with　it　would　be　to　pull　it　down　and　build　another。　　Well；　we're　all　living　in　a　house　called　the　Money　System；　and　as　a　result　most　of　us　are　suffering　from　a　disease　called　poverty。　　There's　so　much　the　matter　with　the　present　system　that　it's　no　good　tinkering　at　it。　Everything　about　it　is　wrong　and　there's　nothing　about　it　that's　right。　　There's　only　one　thing　to　be　done　with　it　and　that　is　to　smash　it　up　and　have　a　different　system　altogether。　　We　must　get　out　of　it。'

‘It　seems　to　me　that　that's　just　what　you're　trying　to　do；'　remanded　Harlow；　sarcastically。　　‘You　seem　to　be　tryin'　to　get　out　of　answering　the　question　what　Easton　asked　you。'

‘Yes！'　cried　Crass；　fiercely。　　‘Why　don't　you　answer　the　bloody　question？　　Wot's　the　cause　of　poverty？'

‘What　the　'ell's　the　matter　with　the　present　system？'　demanded　Sawkins。

‘Ow's　it　goin'　to　be　altered？'　said　Newman。

‘Wot　the　bloody　'ell　sort　of　a　system　do　YOU　think　we　ought　to　'ave？'　shouted　the　man　behind　the　moat。

‘It　can't　never　be　altered；'　said　Philpot。　　‘Human　nature's　human　nature　and　you　can't　get　away　from　it。'

‘Never　mind　about　human　nature；'　shouted　Crass。　　‘Stick　to　the　point。　Wot's　the　cause　of　poverty？'

‘Oh；　br　the　cause　of　poverty！'　said　one　of　the　new　hands。　　‘I've　'ad　enough　of　this　bloody　row。'　　And　he　stood　up　and　prepared　to　go　out　of　the　room。

This　individual　had　two　patches　on　the　seat　of　his　trousers　and　the　bottoms　of　the　legs　of　that　garment　were　frayed　and　ragged。　　He　had　been　out　of　work　for　about　six　weeks　previous　to　having　been　taken　on　by　Rushton　&　Co。　　During　most　of　that　time　he　and　his　family　had　been　existing　in　a　condition　of　semi…starvation　on　the　earnings　of　his　wife　as　a　charwoman　and　on　the　scraps　of　food　she　brought　home　from　the　houses　where　she　worked。　　But　all　the　same；　the　question　of　what　is　the　cause　of　poverty　had　no　interest　for　him。

‘There　are　many　causes；'　answered　Owen；　‘but　they　are　all　part　of　and　inseparable　from　the　system。　　In　order　to　do　away　with　poverty　we　must　destroy　the　causes：　to　do　away　with　the　causes　we　must　destroy　the　whole　system。'

‘What　are　the　causes；　then？'

‘Well；　money；　for　one　thing。'

This　extraordinary　assertion　was　greeted　with　a　roar　of　merriment；　in　the　midst　of　which　Philpot　was　heard　to　say　that　to　listen　to　Owen　was　as　good　as　going　to　a　circus。　　Money　was　the　cause　of　poverty！

‘I　always　thought　it　was　the　want　of　it！'　said　the　man　with　the　patches　on　the　seat　of　his　trousers　as　he　passed　out　of　the　door。

‘Other　things；'　continued　Owen；　‘are　private　ownership　of　land；　private　ownership　of　railways；　tramways；　gasworks；　waterworks；　private　ownership　of　factories；　and　the　other　means　of　producing　the　necessaries　and　comforts　of　life。　　Competition　in　business　…'

‘But　'ow　do　you　make　it　out？'　demanded　Crass；　impatiently。

Owen　hesitated。　　To　his　mind　the　thing　appeared　very　clear　and　simple。　The　causes　of　poverty　were　so　glaringly　evident　that　he　marvelled　that　any　rational　being　should　fail　to　perceive　them；　but　at　the　same　time　he　found　it　very　difficult　to　define　them　himself。　　He　could　not　think　of　words　that　would　convey　his　thoughts　clearly　to　these　others　who　seemed　so　hostile　and　unwilling　to　understand；　and　who　appeared　to　have　made　up　their　minds　to　oppose　and　reject　whatever　he　said。　　They　did　not　know　what　were　the　causes　of　poverty　and　apparently　they　did　not　WANT　to　know。

‘Well；　I'll　try　to　show　you　one　of　the　causes；'　he　said　nervously　at　last。

He　picked　up　a　piece　of　charred　wood　that　had　fallen　from　the　fire　and　knelt　down　and　began　to　draw　upon　the　floor。　　Most　of　the　others　regarded　him；　with　looks　in　which　an　indulgent；　contemptuous　kind　of　interest　mingled　with　an　air　of　superiority　and　patronage。　　There　was　no　doubt；　they　thought；　that　Owen　was　a　clever　sort　of　chap：　his　work　proved　that：　but　he　was　certainly　a　little　bit　mad。

By　this　time　Owen　had　drawn　a　circle　about　two　feet　in　diameter。　Inside　h