ctures and so
on. Yes, and I'll explain that. It was my good fortune to have a father
and mother who were very careful and hard-working and thoughtful people;
I and my sister and brother were brought up in an orderly home, and
taught from the first that ceaseless labour and strict economy were the
things always to be kept in mind. All that was just fortunate chance;
I'm not praising myself in saying I've been able to get more into my
time than most other working men; it's my father and mother I have to
thank for it. Suppose they'd been as ignorant and careless as most of
their class are made by the hard lot they have to endure; why, I should
have followed them, that's all. We've never had to go without a meal,
and why? Just because we've all of us worked like slaves and never
allowed ourselves to think of rest or enjoyment. When my father died, of
course we had to be more careful than ever; but there were three of us
to earn money, fortunately, and we kept up the home. We put our money by
for the club every week, what's more.'

'The club?' queried Miss Waltham, to whom the word suggested Pall Mall
and vague glories which dwelt in her imagination.

'That's to make provision for times when we're ill or can't get work,'
Mutimer explained. 'If a wage-earner falls ill, what has he to look to?
The capitalist won't trouble himself to keep him alive; there's plenty
to take his place. Well, that's my position, or was a few months ago. I
don't suppose any workman has had more advantages. Take it as an example
of the most we can hope for, and pray say what it amounts to! Just on
the right side, just keeping afloat, just screwing out an hour here
and there to work your brain when you ought to be taking wholesome
recreation! That's nothing very grand, it seems to me. Yet people will
point to it and ask what there is to grumble at!'

Adela sat uneasily under Mutimer's gaze; she kept her eyes down.

'And I'm not sure that I should always have got on as easily,' the
speaker continued. 'Only a day or two before I heard of my relative's
death, I'd just been dismissed from my employment; that was because
they didn't like my opinions. Well, I don't say they hadn't a right
to dismiss me, just as I suppose you've a right to kill as many of the
enemy as you can in time of war. But suppose I couldn't have got work
anywhere. I had nothing but my hands to depend upon; if I couldn't sell
my muscles I must starve, that's all.'

Adela looked a