all. Let us ask him about the strike, and
give him all the sympathy he needs, and
hoped to have from poor Bessy."

So they questioned and listened. The
workmen's calculations were based (like too
many of the masters') on false premises.
They reckoned on their fellow-men as if they
possessed the calculable powers of machines,
no more, no less; no allowance for human
passions getting the better of reason, as in the
case of Boucher and the rioters; and believing
that the representations of their injuries
would have the same effect on strangers far
away as the injuries (fancied or real) had
upon themselves. They were consequently
surprised and indignant at the poor Irish,
who had allowed themselves to be imported
and brought over to take their places. This
indignation was tempered in some degree by
contempt for "them Irishers," and by pleasure
at the idea of the bungling way in which
they would set to work, and perplex their
new masters with their ignorance and stupidity,
strange exaggerated stories of which
were already spreading through the town.
But the most cruel cut of all was that of the
Milton workmen, who had defied and
disobeyed the commands of the Union to keep
the peace, whatevercame; who had originated
discord in the camp, and spread the panic of
the law being arrayed against them.

"And so the strike is at an end," said
Margaret.

"Aye, miss. It's save who save can. Th'
factory doors will need open wide to-morrow
to let in all who'll be axing for work; if it's
only just to show they'd nought to do wi' a
measure, which if we'd been made o' th'
right stuff would ha' brought wages up to a
point they'll not been at this ten year."

"You'll get work, shan't you?" asked
Margaret. "You're a famous workman, are
not you?"

"Hamper'll let me work at his mill, when
he cuts off his right hand—not before, and
not at after," said Nicholas, quietly.
Margaret was silenced and sad.

"About the wages?" said Mr. Hale. "You'll
not be offended, but I think you make some
sad mistakes. I should like to read you
some remarks in a book I have." He got up
and went to his book-shelves.

"Yo needn't trouble yoursel', sir," said
Nicholas. "Their book-stuff goes in at one
ear and out at t'other. I can make nought
on't. Afore Hamper and me had this split,
th' overlooker telled him I were stirring up
th' men to ask for higher wages; and Hamper
met me one day in th' yard. He had a thin
book i' his hand, and says he, 'Higgins,
I'm told you're one of those damned fools that
think you can get higher wages for asking
for 'em; ay, and keep 'em up too, when
you've forced 'em up. Now, I'll give yo a
chance and try if yo've any sense in yo.
Here's a book written by a friend o' mine,
and if yo'll read it yo'll see how wages find
their own level, without either masters or
men having aught to do with them; except
the men cut their own throats wi' striking,
like the confounded noodles they are.' Well,
now, sir, I put it to yo, being a parson, and
having been in the preaching line, and having
had to try and bring folk o'er to what yo
thought was a right way o' thinking—did yo
begin by calling 'em fools and such like, or
didn't yo rayther give 'em some kind words
at first to make 'em ready for to. listen and
be convinced, if they could; and in yo'r
preaching did yo stop every now and then,
and say, half to them and half to yo'rsel', ' But
yo're such a pack o' fools, that I've a strong
notion it's no use my trying to put sense
into yo?' I were not i' th' best state, I'll
own, for taking in what Hamper's friend had
to say—I were so vexed at the way it were put
to me—but I thought, 'Come, I'll see what
these chaps has got to say, and try if it's them
or me that's th' noodle.' So I took th' book
and tugged at it; but, Lord bless yo, it went
on about capital and labour, and labour
and capital, till it fair sent me off to sleep.
I ne'er could rightly fix i' my mind which
was which; and it spoke on 'em as if they
was vartues or vices; and what I wanted for
to know were the rights o' men, whether
they were rich or poor—so be they only
were men."

"But for all that," said Mr. Hale, "and
granting to the full the offensiveness, the
folly, the unchristianness of Mr. Hamper's
way of speaking to you in recommending his
friend's book, yet if it told you what he said it
did, that wages find their own level, and that
the most successful strike can only force
them up for a moment, to sink in far greater
proportion afterwards in consequence of that
very strike, the book would have told you
the truth."

"Well, sir," said Higgins, rather doggedly;
"it might, or it might not. There's two
opinions go to settling that point. But
suppose it was truth double strong, it were no
truth to me if I couldna take it in. I daresay
there's truth in yon Latin book on your
shelves; but it's gibberish and not truth to
me, unless I know the meaning o' the words.
If yo, sir, or any other knowledgable patient
man come to me, and says he'll larn me what
the words mean, and not blow me up if I'm
a bit stupid, or forget how one thing hangs
on another—why, in time I may get to see
the truth of it; or I may not. I'll not be
bound to say I shall end in thinking the same
as any man. And I'm not one who think
truth can be shaped out in words, all neat
and clean, as th' men at th' foundry cut out
sheet-iron. Same bones won't go down wi'
every one. It'll stick here i' this man's throat,
and there i' t'other's. Let alone that, when
down, it may be too strong for this one, too
weak for that. Folk who sets up to doctor
th' world wi' their truth, must suit different
for different minds; and be a bit tender in