EBURY. [With a gesture of deep spiritual discomfort.] Let the
poor men call their souls their own!

ROBERTS. Aye, they shall keep their souls, for it's not much body
that you've left them, Mr. [with biting emphasis, as though the word
were an offence] Scantlebury! [To the men.] Well, will you speak,
or shall I speak for you?

ROUS. [Suddenly.] Speak out, Roberts, or leave it to others.

ROBERTS. [Ironically.] Thank you, George Rous. [Addressing himself
to ANTHONY.] The Chairman and Board of Directors have honoured us by
leaving London and coming all this way to hear what we've got to say;
it would not be polite to keep them any longer waiting.

WILDER. Well, thank God for that!

ROBERTS. Ye will not dare to thank Him when I have done, Mr. Wilder,
for all your piety. May be your God up in London has no time to
listen to the working man. I'm told He is a wealthy God; but if he
listens to what I tell Him, He will know more than ever He learned in
Kensington.

HARNESS. Come, Roberts, you have your own God. Respect the God of
other men.

ROBERTS. That's right, sir. We have another God down here; I doubt
He is rather different to Mr. Wilder's. Ask Henry Thomas; he will
tell you whether his God and Mr. Wilder's are the same.

[THOMAS lifts his hand, and cranes his head as though to
prophesy.]

WANKLIN. For goodness' sake, let 's keep to the point, Roberts.

ROBERTS. I rather think it is the point, Mr. Wanklin. If you can
get the God of Capital to walk through the streets of Labour, and pay
attention to what he sees, you're a brighter man than I take you for,
for all that you're a Radical.

ANTHONY. Attend to me, Roberts! [Roberts is silent.] You are here
to speak for the men, as I am here to speak for the Board.

[He looks slowly round.]

[WILDER, WANKLIN, and SCANTLEBURY make movements of uneasiness,
and EDGAR gazes at the floor. A faint smile comes on HARNESS'S
face.]

Now then, what is it?

ROBERTS. Right, Sir!

[Throughout all that follows, he and ANTHONY look fixedly upon
each other. Men and Directors show in their various ways
suppressed uneasiness, as though listening to words that they
themselves would not have spoken.]

The men can't afford to travel up to London; and they don't trust you
to believe what they say in black and white. They know what the post
is [he darts a look at UNDERWOOD and TENCH], and what Direct