'Not he. He'd ha' given his right hand if it had never come to

pass. It's that that's fretting me. He's fairly knocked down in

his mind by it. It's no use telling him, fools will always break

out o bounds. Yo' never saw a man so down-hearted as he is.' 'But why?' asked Margaret. 'I don't understand.' 'Why yo' see, he's a committee-man on this special strike'. Th'

Union appointed him because, though I say it as shouldn't say it,

he's reckoned a deep chap, and true to th' back-bone. And he and

t other committee-men laid their plans. They were to hou'd

together through thick and thin; what the major part thought,

t'others were to think, whether they would or no. And above all

there was to be no going again the law of the land. Folk would go

with them if they saw them striving and starving wi' dumb

patience; but if there was once any noise o' fighting and

struggling--even wi' knobsticks--all was up, as they knew by th'

experience of many, and many a time before. They would try and

get speech o' th' knobsticks, and coax 'em, and reason wi' 'em,

and m'appen warn 'em off; but whatever came, the Committee

charged all members o' th' Union to lie down and die, if need

were, without striking a blow; and then they reckoned they were

sure o' carrying th' public with them. And beside all that,

Committee knew they were right in their demand, and they didn't

want to have right all mixed up wi' wrong, till folk can't

separate it, no more nor I can th' physic-powder from th' jelly

yo' gave me to mix it in; jelly is much the biggest, but powder

tastes it all through. Well, I've told yo' at length about

this'n, but I'm tired out. Yo' just think for yo'rsel, what it

mun be for father to have a' his work undone, and by such a fool

as Boucher, who must needs go right again the orders of

Committee, and ruin th' strike, just as bad as if he meant to be

a Judas. Eh! but father giv'd it him last night! He went so far

as to say, he'd go and tell police where they might find th'

ringleader o' th' riot; he'd give him up to th' mill-owners to do

what they would wi' him. He'd show the world that th' real

leaders o' the strike were not such as Boucher, but steady

thoughtful men; good hands, and good citizens, who were friendly

to law and judgment, and would uphold order; who only wanted

their right wage, and wouldn't work, even though they starved,

till they got 'em; but who would ne'er injure property or life:

For,' dropping her voice, 'they do say, that Boucher threw a

stone at Thornton's sister, that welly killed her.' 'That's not true,' said Margaret. 'It was not Boucher that threw

the stone'--she went first red, then white.




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