it he made his way
to this man. "Peter Wadge," he said, "you have come from Lancashire, I
am told?"

Wadge admitted that he had.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Brunford," replied Wadge; "and Brunford is the place for a chap like
you. No questions will be asked about you there, and the wage is
double what it is here!"

"You see," continued Wadge, "the working man has a chance in
Lancashire, and we stand no nonsense with the masters."

Paul looked at him questioningly.

"You don't believe me?" said Wadge. "Why, think. Lately, owing to the
change in the price of cotton, the manufacturers were making money hand
over fist. Well, what did the weavers do? They just went to them and
demanded more wages. The manufacturers refused; they were having a big
harvest, and did not mean to allow the weavers to have a share in it.
But you see we are organised there, and a meeting of the Weavers' Union
was called, and the next thing was that they all went on strike. Of
course the manufacturers could do nothing without them, and so there
was an increase of wage right away. That's the way we deal with them
up there. Why, I knew a chap who was sacked because one of the
manufacturer's sons didn't like him. Do you think we stood it? Not
we! We sent a deputation to the master, and told him that unless the
chap were taken back we should all 'come out.'"

"And was he taken back?" asked Paul.

"I should think he was," was the reply. "Why, we working people are
somebody up there. We have our representatives on the town council and
on the board of guardians. Down here it is the parson and squire that
do everything; up there we are alive, and there's a chance for a chap
who's got brains. Why, a fellow like you up in Brunford, with your
education and gifts, could be a big man in a few years."

Paul thought quietly for a few minutes. There was something in what
Wadge said that appealed to him. He longed to put his finger on the
pulse of the great busy life of the world, but he remembered the object
for which he lived. He longed to get on, but only for that purpose,
and he remembered that the man whom he had determined to punish was
educated and had a high position.

"And are there any chances," he asked, "for a poor man to be educated?
I mean to be educated in the higher things--to learn law and government
and that sort of thing?"

"Chances? I should think there are!" replied Wadge. "Why, think of
our Mechanics'