Sothatkeptmebeyondmytime，chaps。““Didyouhearwherethewifelivedatlast？“askedmanyanxiousvoices。“No!hewentontalkingtoher，tillhiswordscutmyheartlikeaknife。
Iaxedth’nursetofindoutwhoshewas，andwhereshelived。ButwhatI’mmoreespecialnamingitnowforisthis，——foronethingIwantedyoualltoknowwhyIweren’tatmypostthismorning；foranother，Iwishtosay，thatI，forone，ha’seenenoughofwhatcomesofattackingknob-sticks，andI’llha’noughttodowithitnomore。Thereweresomeexpressionsofdisapprobation，butJohndidnotmindthem。“Nay!I’mnocoward，“hereplied，“andI’mtruetoth’backbone。WhatI
wouldlike，andwhatIwoulddo，wouldbetofightthemasters。There’soneamongyocalledmeacoward。Well!everymanhasarighttohisopinion；
butsinceI’vethoughtonth’matterto-day，I’vethoughtwehanallonusbeenmorelikecowardsinattackingthepoorlikeourselves；themashasnonetohelp，butmunchoosebetweenvitriolandstarvation。Isaywe’remorecowardlyindoingthatthaninleavingthemalone。No!whatIwoulddoisthis。Haveatthemasters!“Againheshouted，“Haveatthemasters!“Hespokelower；alllistenedwithhushedbreath。“It’sthemastersashaswroughtthiswoe；it’sthemastersasshouldpayforit。Himascalledmecowardjustnow，maytryifIamoneornot。Setmetoserveoutthemasters，andseeifthere’saughtI’llstickat。““Itwouldgiveth’mastersabitonafrightifoneofthemwerebeatenwithinaninchofhislife，“saidone。“Aye!orbeatentillnolifewereleftinhim，growledanother。Andsowithwords，orlooksthattoldmorethanwords，theybuiltupadeadlyplan。Deeperanddarkergrewtheimportoftheirspeeches，astheystoodhoarselymutteringtheirmeaningout，andglaring，witheyesthattoldtheterrortheirownthoughtsweretothem，upontheirneighbours，Theirclenchedfists，theirsetteeth，theirlividlooks，alltoldthesufferingwhichtheirmindswerevoluntarilyundergoinginthecontemplationofcrime，andinfamiliarizingthemselveswithitsdetails。ThencameoneofthosefierceterribleoathswhichbindmembersofTrades’
Unionstoanygivenpurpose。Then，undertheflaringgaslight，theymettogethertoconsultfurther。Withthedistrustofguilt，eachwassuspiciousofhisneighbour；eachdreadedthetreacheryofanother。Anumberofpiecesofpapertheidenticalletteronwhichthecaricaturehadbeendrawnthatverymorningweretornup，andonewasmarked。Thenallwerefoldedupagain，lookingexactlyalike。Theywereshuffledtogetherinahat。