MADGE.[Suddenly.] What suffering?
ENID.[Surprised.] I beg your pardon!
MADGE.Who said there was suffering?
MRS.ROBERTS.Madge!
MADGE.[Throwing her shawl over her head.] Please to let us keep ourselves to ourselves.We don't want you coming here and spying on us.
ENID.[Confronting her, but without rising.] I did n't speak to you.
MADGE.[In a low, fierce voice.] Keep your kind feelings to yourself.You think you can come amongst us, but you're mistaken.
Go back and tell the Manager that.
ENID.[Stonily.] This is not your house.
MADGE.[Turning to the door.] No, it is not my house; keep clear of my house, Mrs.Underwood.
[She goes out.ENID taps her fingers on the table.]
MRS.ROBERTS.Please to forgive Madge Thomas, M'm; she's a bit upset to-day.
[A pause.]
ENID.[Looking at her.] Oh, I think they're so stupid, all of them.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With a faint smile].Yes, M'm.
ENID.Is Roberts out?
MRS.ROBERTS.Yes, M'm.
ENID.It is his doing, that they don't come to an agreement.Now is n't it, Annie?
MRS.ROBERTS.[Softly, with her eyes on ENID, and moving the fingers of one hand continually on her breast.] They do say that your father, M'm----ENID.My father's getting an old man, and you know what old men are.
MRS.ROBERTS.I am sorry, M'm.
ENID.[More softly.] I don't expect you to feel sorry, Annie.Iknow it's his fault as well as Roberts's.
MRS.ROBERTS.I'm sorry for any one that gets old, M'm; it 's dreadful to get old, and Mr.Anthony was such a fine old man, Ialways used to think.
ENID.[Impulsively.] He always liked you, don't you remember? Look here, Annie, what can I do? I do so want to know.You don't get what you ought to have.[Going to the fire, she takes the kettle off, and looks for coals.] And you're so naughty sending back the soup and things.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With a faint smile.] Yes, M'm?
ENID.[Resentfully.] Why, you have n't even got coals?
MRS.ROBERTS.If you please, M'm, to put the kettle on again;Roberts won't have long for his tea when he comes in.He's got to meet the men at four.
ENID.[Putting the kettle on.] That means he'll lash them into a fury again.Can't you stop his going, Annie?
[MRS.ROBERTS smiles ironically.]
Have you tried?
[A silence.]
Does he know how ill you are ?
MRS.ROBERTS.It's only my weak 'eard, M'm.
ENID.You used to be so well when you were with us.
MRS.ROBERTS.[Stiffening.] Roberts is always good to me.
ENID.But you ought to have everything you want, and you have nothing!
MRS.ROBERTS.[Appealingly.] They tell me I don't look like a dyin'
woman?
ENID.Of course you don't; if you could only have proper--- Will you see my doctor if I send him to you? I'm sure he'd do you good.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With faint questioning.] Yes, M'm.
ENID.Madge Thomas ought n't to come here; she only excites you.As if I did n't know what suffering there is amongst the men! I do feel for them dreadfully, but you know they have gone too far.
MRS.ROBERTS.[Continually moving her fingers.] They say there's no other way to get better wages, M'm.
ENID.[Earnestly.] But, Annie, that's why the Union won't help them.My husband's very sympathetic with the men, but he says they are not underpaid.
MRS.ROBERTS.No, M'm?
ENID.They never think how the Company could go on if we paid the wages they want.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With an effort.] But the dividends having been so big, M'm.
ENID.[Takes aback.] You all seem to think the shareholders are rich men, but they're not--most of them are really no better off than working men.
[MRS.ROBERTS smiles.]
They have to keep up appearances.
MRS.ROBERTS.Yes, M'm?
ENID.You don't have to pay rates and taxes, and a hundred other things that they do.If the men did n't spend such a lot in drink and betting they'd be quite well off!
MRS.ROBERTS.They say, workin' so hard, they must have some pleasure.
ENID.But surely not low pleasure like that.
MRS.ROBERTS.[A little resentfully.] Roberts never touches a drop;and he's never had a bet in his life.
ENID.Oh! but he's not a com---- I mean he's an engineer----a superior man.
MRS.ROBERTS.Yes, M'm.Roberts says they've no chance of other pleasures.
ENID.[Musing.] Of course, I know it's hard.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With a spice of malice.] And they say gentlefolk's just as bad.
ENID.[With a smile.] I go as far as most people, Annie, but you know, yourself, that's nonsense.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With painful effort.] A lot 'o the men never go near the Public; but even they don't save but very little, and that goes if there's illness.
ENID.But they've got their clubs, have n't they?
MRS.ROBERTS.The clubs only give up to eighteen shillin's a week, M'm, and it's not much amongst a family.Roberts says workin' folk have always lived from hand to mouth.Sixpence to-day is worth more than a shillin' to-morrow, that's what they say.
ENID.But that's the spirit of gambling.
MRS.ROBERTS.[With a sort of excitement.] Roberts says a working man's life is all a gamble, from the time 'e 's born to the time 'e dies.
[ENID leans forward, interested.MRS.ROBERTS goes on with a growing excitement that culminates in the personal feeling of the last words.]
He says, M'm, that when a working man's baby is born, it's a toss-up from breath to breath whether it ever draws another, and so on all 'is life; an' when he comes to be old, it's the workhouse or the grave.He says that without a man is very near, and pinches and stints 'imself and 'is children to save, there can't be neither surplus nor security.That's why he wouldn't have no children [she sinks back], not though I wanted them.
ENID.Yes, yes, I know!
MRS.ROBERTS.No you don't, M'm.You've got your children, and you'll never need to trouble for them.
ENID.[Gently.] You oughtn't to be talking so much, Annie.[Then, in spite of herself.] But Roberts was paid a lot of money, was n't he, for discovering that process?
MRS.ROBERTS.[On the defensive.] All Roberts's savin's have gone.
He 's always looked forward to this strike.He says he's no right to a farthing when the others are suffering.'T is n't so with all o'
