Demos

arment with any one of his kin, whereas language of the tempestuous kind was common enough from him to one and all of them; for all that he clung closely to the hearth, and not

the fact that capital creates cares as well as removes them, and just now the centre of his

ch away from home; they were given to understand that the change in their own position and prospects was entirely of their brother's making. If Alice Maud was allowed to give up her work, to wear more expensive gowns, even to receive lessons on the pianoforte, she had to thank

uture statesmanship, he could not have gone through a more profitable course of experience and reasoning than that into which he was led by brotherly solicitude. For 'Arry represented a very large section of Demos, alike in his natural characteristics and in the circumstances of his position; 'Arry, being 'Arry, was on the t

d to devote his poor washy brains to some pursuit quite compatible with the standing of a capitalist, to acquire knowledge of a kind which he could afterwards use for the benefit of his own pocket. Deficient bodily vigour had had something to do with his elevation to the office of the drain-pipe factory, but that he appeared to have outgrown. Much pondering enabled Richard to hit at length on what he considered a hopeful scheme; he would apprentice 'Arry to engineeri

n planning thus for his brother's future he was inconsistency itself; but then the matter at issue concerned someone in whom he had a strong personal interest, and consequently he took counsel of facts. When it was only the world at large that he was bent on b

; inwardly there had been growing for some weeks reasons manifold. They tormented him. For the first time in his life he had begun to sleep indifferently; when he had resolutely put from his mind thought of Alice and 'Arry, and seemed ready for repose, there crept out of less obvious lurking-places subtle temptations and suggestions which fevered his blood and only allured the more, the more they disquieted him. This Sunday night was the worst he had yet known. When he left the Walthams, he occupied himself for an hour or two in writing letters, resolutely subduing his thoughts to the subjects of his correspondence. Then he ate supper, and after that walked to the top of St

determination to marry Emma Vine i

wed, of two storeys, standing pleasantly on a wide road skirted by similar dwellings, and with a row of acacias in front. He admitted himself with a

for high days and holidays now distinguished him every evening when the guise of the workshop was thrown off. He still wore a waistcoat of pronounced cut, a striking collar, a necktie of remarkable hue. It was not necessary to approach him closely to be aware that his person was sprinkled with perfumes. A recent acq

his hands beneath the table, drew off the ornament,

s power to do so. Tolerable taste and handiness with her needle had always kept Alice rather more ladylike in appearance than the girls of her class are wont to be, but such comparative distinction no longer sufficed. After certain struggles with himself, Richard had told his mother that Alice must in future dress 'as a lady'; he authorised her to procure the services of a competent dressmaker, and, within the bounds of moderation, to expend freely. And the result was on the whole satisfactory. A girl of good figure, pretty face, and moderate wit, who has spent some years in a City

e minutes ago as Dick was likely to come some day in the week! Wasn't I, Alice? What'll y

immediately, but went and stood before the fireplac

a chop?' repe

t yet. But you can g

bent over the teapot. Richard was regarding his brother a

been to wo

; as it was, he made his plate rev

y n

ruggling for self-confidence and doing his

ed the look of one who reserves dis

he wants to see you. I think it's something particular; he

have something cooked for me about eight o'clock, mother,' h

to his bro

leared away, get your books out and show me what you've b

me special cause for embarrassment. Instead of immediately repl

t length, with a rather timid smile and

ichard observe

he younger Mutimer, wi

to work you certainly don't go

ck with crossed arms, evidently prepared to do battle. 'A fr

And what fr

spent her days in trying to piece on the present life to the former-found refuge in a habit more suitable to the kitchen than the dining-room;

responded 'Arry. 'He writes for

w came you

was the a

e brought

's been h

Mrs. Mutimer. 'He was really a civil-spoken man

was he

t Fr

wants to take you

was address

,' she replied. 'He says he

here to fetch you? I s

guous. He put down his

verything that servant did she all Alice's objections she opposed an obstinate silence. What herself performed over again, even to the making of beds. To was the poor woman to do? She had never in her life read more than an occasional paragraph of police news, and could not be expected to take up literature at her age. Though she made no complaint, signs were not wanting that she had begun to suffer in health. She fretted through the nights, and was never really at peace save when she anticipated the servant in rising early, and had an honest scrub at saucepans or fireirons before breakfast. Her main discomfort came of the feeling that she no longer had a house of her own; nothing about her seemed to

stood how entirely time was at her command. Now she was growing rather weary of flats and sharps, and much preferred to read of persons to whom the same nomenclature was very applicable in the books she obtained from a circulating library. Her reading had hitherto been confined to the fiction of the penny papers; to procure her pleasure in three gaily-bound volu

or. Alice turned from the piano, and looked at her brother apprehensively. R

o say to him, Dick?'

to know me. I shal

f uncertain age-he might be eight-and-twenty, but was more probably ten years older. He was meagre, and of shrewd visage; he wore a black frock coat-ra

ude, one hand to his glasses, seeming to inspect Richard with extreme yet respectful interest. When he spoke, it w

ofession has necessarily led me to hear most of our platform orators, and in one respect you distance them all-in the quality of sincerity. No speaker ever moved me as you did. I had long been interested in your cause; I had long wished

ard gave his own hand carelessly, smiling as a man does who cannot but enj

er of the Union

he cause materially.' He smiled meaningly. 'The press-you understand?' He spread his fingers to represent wide

u write for?' aske

ling my way. With ends such as I propose to myself it won't do to stan

nfully. Then, t

irst to your brother-I had almost said your illustrious brother. To be

,' murmured Alice, rather dis

at will deeply interest you. I am translating the great treatise of Marx, "Das capital." It occurs to me

cion, and even such an announcement as

ine about it to Mr.

understood that you had practic

again

ke edits it

ign of friendly intelligence.

fessionally-for the Regent's Theatre to-night-the dress circle. I have f

,' Richard replied; 'and I ca

as inconsiderate. Then Miss

ured interrogation. 'If they had accepted your invitation be' so goo

other time, I trust. I-I feel presumptuous, but it is my earnest hope to be allowed to stand on the footing not only of a comrade

the kitchen; she had a room of her own upstairs, but there she felt too remote from the centre of domestic operations, and the dining-room was a compromise. Her chair was always placed in a rather dusky corner; she genera

chard said to her. 'I've sent that fellow about his bu

g the tone of little interest with which she was

u, and I'll have that understood.-W

ant to, I

ed at home o

expect he doesn't

Alice in the front room? I

look on his face, the look which in his character corre

n, 'I want this explaining. What d

leaned against the side of it, in the attitude of

ne to a good deal of trouble to give you a start, and it seems to me you ought to show a bett

he use of it,'

suppose you must make

that Richard looked at him keen

you laug

r me to work for a living than there

utting that i

ournalist, when the latter explained to him the disposition of the deceased Richard

when all the time there's a fortune waiting for him. What have I got to work for, I'd like to know? I don't just see the fun of it, and you wouldn't

to a pitch of boldness not altogether premeditated. The lad came from the window, thrust his hands more firmly into his pockets and stood prepared to do battle for his freem

brother, half to himself. 'And who's going to supp

per cent. coming

racy in his use of terms; he merely jumbled to

e you going to d

s. How do other me

t the full seriousness of the situatio

?' he said quietly,

more than anger

o do any work myself? There you're

what kind of

ould be as well if you were to see. I t

at

an give you a j

u I don't

works been fully established it would have been a different thing. Even now he could keep the lad at work at Wanley, though not exactly in the way he desired. But if it came to a choice between a life of idl

It looked as if all would have to quit London. Yet there would be

bjection to having all his relatives dwelling at Wanley. Alice he would not mind; it was not impossible

ourage to approach and examine them one by one; he had not the audacity to imagine leaps over them; yet somehow they had to be surmounted. At this moment, whilst 'Arry was waiting for the rejoinder to his last

so long that h

t of a jo

Richard display

ickhead you might go to school and be taught how to behave yourself, and how a man ought to live; but it's no use sending you to any such place. Can't you unders

re was nothing for it but an outbreak. The difficulties of life were hedging him in-difficulties he could not have conceived till they became matter of practical experience. A

legs and bending his body forward, a combination of moveme

went in silence from the room. As he joined his

e,' he said, remaining nea

protested his mother. 'See'-she rose h

ou've got some cold meat. Leave it out for

ed Alice, who wore a mutinous look. 'Wh

m which was passing empty, and had himself driven to Hoxton. He alighted near the Britannia Theatre, and thence made his way by foul streets to a public-house called the 'Warwick

ou do, sir?' he exclai

Daniel, was not a man to lose anything by failure to acknowledge social distinctions. A short time ago Daniel had expostulated with his br

et?' Mutime

Come round, sir, will you?

raised, and Richard passed

him,' said

peared im

said to his brother. 'We'll have

of something first, Nick,' put

chuckled Nicholas to himself. 'Never use

e and stirred his tumbler thoug

a in a dispirited way. 'Of course someone's been telling him, and now the young fool sa

d Daniel, without much

ou want to ta

r, which consequently stood upright upon his forehead, a wiry rampart, just as it had been thrust by the vigorously-applied towel. This, combin

ference, Dan," you said. Now wait till I've finished; I ain't complainin' of nobody. Well, and I tried to 'ope as it wouldn't make no difference, though I 'ad my doubts. "Come an' see us all just as usu'l," you said. Well, I tried to do so, and three or four weeks I come reg'lar, lookin' in of a Sunday night. But s

ase in listening. He tried to smi

ou found wrong,' he

uare, you know very well who it was as I come to see. Well, it stands to reason as I can't go to the new 'ouse with the same thoughts as I did to the old. Mind, I can't say as she'd ever a' list

his fingers on the table,

thing I can say, and that is that she'll never be encouraged by me to think herself better than her old friends.' He gave a laugh. 'Why, that 'ud be a good joke for a man in my position! What am I working for, if not to do away with di

s, an eye at once reflective and scrutinising.

up has married a poor girl. I don't know how it is; perhaps because women is softer than men, and takes the polish easier. A

he hope of eliciting a stronger argument on the other side. But Ri

All I have to say is that you don't stay

nother visit. This was to the familiar house in Wilton Square. There was a

rd's entrance she rose from her chair with evident feebleness: her illness of the spring had lasted long, and its effects were grave. The poor girl-she closely resembled Emma in gentleness of face, but the lines of her countenance were weaker-

e necessity of washing its dirty little hands and face before packing it off to bed. In a minute or two sh

ne?' Mutimer inquired, t

he cough hasn't been not near s

work. You ought to have pu

I'm sorry to say there isn't very

' Richard asked, without a

e say. People want time, you

s eyes w

port wine yet?' he aske

whole bottles left, and one as I'

inted when you didn't come a

rd no

to your house?'

et; but I've been seein

escape from the suffering weakness of her own

have a room a

her triumph to have won a promise from Ric

g to be furnish

was not active in the

, as if with an effort to rouse him

patterned carpet, setting which her heart deemed fit for that priceless jewel, her dear sister. But to descri

t as it had been in Mrs. Mutimer's day, save for a few ornaments from the mantelpiece, which the old lady could not be

fection. The root of Emma's character was steadfast faith. She did not allow herself to judge of Richard by the impulses of her own heart; those, she argued, were womanly; a man must be more independent in his strength. Of what a man ought to be she had but one criterion, Richard's self. Her judgment on this point had been formed five or six years ago; she felt that nothing now could ever shake it. All of expressed love that he was pleased to give her she stored in the s

had made his interests her own, and was following in ardent ima

ier to do so than to come at once to the words he had in m

e is empt

ou have gone

t get some furn

s of a smile journeyed trembl

voiced itself

u be ready to

k I must leave them just

had become all at once a little puzzling; her own fault, of cour

ked. He believed his tone to express a

d us. I've just called there, and she really seems anxious to help. If Jane was stronger I shouldn't mind so much, but she mustn't work hard just yet, and Kate has a g

eemed to

if I left them now. Jane hasn't the strength to go and see people; and Kate-well, you know, Richard, she can't quite suit herself to

housed in that plain-clad, simple-featured woman there before him. It had shot a ray to the sec

fixing his eye steadily on hers. 'Work 'll come in

y sincere in this suggestion. She let her

nderful what spirits she has. And she'd be miserable if she wasn't trying to work-I know so well how it would be. Just a few w

you like,' said Rich

u begin, isn't it? I should feel rather dissatisfied with myself if I gave it up, and

house furnished. But I ca

he works; then said that he had promised to be home for supper, and took a rather h

they two were alone in the bed-room. To Emma it was the simplest thing in the world to put a duty before pl

' Jane said. 'Of course, people are far readier to give you work than the

d Emma. 'You'll have to be sure and let me know if

other. 'Besides, it'll be quite enoug

Kate won't

f her worst turns. It was only the hard work and the trouble as worried

ht. And you must see to it yourself that the sheets is always aired; Kate's often so careless about that. You will promise me no

mma sat on a chair by the side. 'But you know it's not much use, love. I don't supp

t my little sister to come and talk to. Don't t

cheeks together

' Jane whispered. 'You kn

l this world! Wh

ing. He said you mustn't w

thing by him. I must try and show him that I do my best to follow his example. I'm ashame

to know? Let him come and ask me about that! T

ster Alice; the others had gone

said. 'You shouldn't have been so ready to say yes when he

Besides, we must have some friends

half-smile, half-sneer. 'You don't know a gentleman

I to lea

your music and your reading. Time enoug

to let anybody com

iends,' replied Rich

bs, I suppose. What did he

him from the c

doesn't intend to come here again.

irl l

n I? At all events, Mr. Dabbs

aying a good deal, let me tell yo

way, of course. But t

diffe

head on one side, smiled

at 'Arry says-a

whole, not sorry to hear it. Richard was stu

it is?'

more different even tha

room, one hand bent over her head. It was n

d get on with your piano and your books. You can't do better, believe me. Never mind whether you've any one to see you or not; there's time enough. And I'll tell

I to lea

e long. Get on with you

about to leave the roo

are you going

as the answer. 'Emma