"Life's a tumbleabout thing of ups and downs," said Widow Careystirring her tea, "but I have been down this time longer than I can everremember."
"Nor ever will get up, Widow," said Julia at whose lodgings herself andseveral of Julia's friends had met, "unless we have the Five Points."
"I will never marry any man who is not for the Five Points," saidCaroline.
"I should be ashamed to marry any one who had not the suffrage," saidHarriet.
"He is no better than a slave," said Julia.
The widow shook her head. "I don't like these politics," said the goodwoman, "they bayn't in a manner business for our sex."
"And I should like to know why?" said Julia. "Ayn't we as much concernedin the cause of good government as the men? And don't we understandas much about it? I am sure the Dandy never does anything withoutconsulting me."
"It's fine news for a summer day," said Caroline, "to say we can'tunderstand politics with a Queen on the throne."
"She has got her ministers to tell her what to do," said Mrs Carey,taking a pinch of snuff. "Poor innocent young creature, it often makesmy heart ache to think how she is beset."
"Over the left," said Julia. "If the ministers try to come into herbed-chamber, she knows how to turn them to the right about."
"And as for that," said Harriet, "why are we not to interfere withpolitics as much as the swell ladies in London?"
"Don't you remember, too, at the last election here," said Caroline,"how the fine ladies from the Castle came and canvassed for ColonelRosemary?"
"Ah!" said Julia, "I must say I wish the Colonel had beat that horridMuddlefist. If we can't have our own man, I am all for the Nobs againstthe Middle Class."
"We'll have our own man soon, I expect," said Harriet. "If the peopledon't work, how are the aristocracy to pay the police?"
"Only think!" said Widow Carey shaking her head. "Why, at your time oflife, my dears, we never even heard of these things, much less talked ofthem."
"I should think you didn't, widow, and because why?" said Julia;"because there was no march of mind then. But we know the time of daynow as well as any of them."
"Lord, my dear," said Mrs Carey; "what's the use of all that? Whatwe want is, good wages and plenty to do; and as for the rest, I don'tgrudge the Queen her throne, nor the noblemen and gentlemen their goodthings. Live and let live say I."
"Why, you are a regular oligarch, widow," said Harriet.
"Well, Miss Harriet," replied Mrs Carey, a little nettled; "'tisn'tcalling your neighbours names that settles any question. I'm quite surethat Julia will agree to that, and Caroline too. And perhaps I mightcall you something if I chose, Miss Harriet; I've heard things saidbefore this, that I should blush to say, and blush to hear too. But Iwon't demean myself, no I won't. Holly-hock, indeed! Why holly-hock?"
At this moment entered the Dandy and Devilsdust.
"Well young ladies," said the Dandy. "A-swelling the receipt of customsby the consumption of Congo! That won't do, Julia; it won't, indeed. AskDusty. If you want to beat the enemy, you must knock up the revenue. Howd'ye do, widow?"
"The same to you, Dandy Mick. We is deploring the evils of the timeshere in a neighbourly way."
"Oh, the times will soon mend," said the Dandy gaily. "Well, so Ithink," said the widow; "for when things are at the worst, they alwayssay--"
"But you always say they cannot mend, Mick," said Julia interrupting her.
"Why in a sense, Julia, in a certain sense, you are right; but thereare two senses to everything, my girl," and Mick began singing, and thenexecuted a hornpipe to the gratification of Julia and her guests.
"'Tis genteel," said Mick, receiving their approbation. "You remember itat the Circus?"
"I wonder when we shall have the Circus again?" said Caroline.
"Not with the present rate of wages," said Devilsdust.
"It's very hard," said Caroline, "that the Middle Class are alwaysdropping our wages. One really has no amusements now. How I do miss theTemple!"
"We'll have the Temple open again before long," said the Dandy.
"That will be sweet," exclaimed Caroline. "I often dream of that foreignnobleman who used to sing, 'Oh, no, we never!'"
"Well, I cannot make out what puts you in such spirits, Mick," saidJulia. "You told me only this morning that the thing was up, and thatwe should soon be slaves for life; working sixteen hours a day for nowages, and living on oatmeal porridge and potatoes, served out by themillocrats like a regular Bastile."
"But, as Madam Carey says, when things are at the worst--"
"Oh! I did say it," said the widow, "surely, because you see, at myyears, I have seen so many ups and downs, though I always say--"
"Come, Dusty," said Julia, "you are more silent than ever. You won'ttake a dish I know: but tell us the news, for I am sure you havesomething to say."
"I should think we had," said Dusty.
Here all the girls began talking at the same time, and without waitingfor the intelligence, favouring one another with their guesses of itsimport.
"I am sure it's Shuffle and Screw going to work half time," saidHarriet. "I always said so."
"It's something to put down the people," said Julia: "I suppose the Nobshave met, and are going to drop wages again."
"I think Dusty is going to be married," said Caroline.
"Not at this rate of wages I should hope," said Mrs Carey, getting in aword.
"I should think not," said Devilsdust. "You are a sensible woman, MrsCarey. And I don't know exactly what you mean, Miss Caroline," he added,a little confused. For Devilsdust was a silent admirer of Caroline, andhad been known to say to Mick, who told Julia, who told her friend, thatif he ever found time to think of such things, that was the sort of girlhe should like to make the partner of his life.
"But Dusty," said Julia, "now what is it?"
"Why, I thought you all knew," said Mick.
"Now, now," said Julia, "I hate suspense. I like news to go round like afly-wheel."
"Well," said Devilsdust, dryly, "this is Saturday, young women, and MrsCarey too, you will not deny that."
"I should think not," said Mrs Carey, "by the token I kept a stall forthirty year in our market, and never gave it up till this summer, whichmakes me always think that, though I have seen many ups and downs,this--"
"Well, what has Saturday to do with us?" said Caroline; "for neitherDandy Mick nor you can take us to the Temple, or any other genteelplace, since they are all shut from the Corn Laws, or some other causeor other."
"I believe it's the machines more than the Corn Laws that have shut upthe Temple," said Harriet. "Machines, indeed! Fancy preferring apiece of iron or wood to your own flesh and blood. And they call thatChristianlike!"
"It is Saturday," said Julia, "sure enough; and if I don't lie in bedto-morrow till sunset, may I get a bate ticket for every day for a weekto come."
"Well, go it my hearty," said Mick to Devilsdust. "It is Saturday, thatthey have all agreed."
"And to-morrow is Sunday," said Devilsdust solemnly. "And the nextday is the blackest day in all the week," said Julia. "When I hear thefactory bell on Monday morning, I feel just the same as I did when Icrossed with my uncle from Liverpool to Seaton to eat shrimps. Wasn't Isick coming home, that's all!"
"You won't hear that bell sound next Monday," said Devilsdust solemnly.
"You don't mean that?" said Julia.
"Why, what's the matter?" said Caroline. "Is the Queen dead?"
"No bell on Monday morning," said Mrs Carey, incredulously.
"Not a single ring if all the Capitalists in Mowbray were to pulltogether at the same rope," said Devilsdust.
"What can it be?" said Julia. "Come, Mick; Dusty is always so longtelling us anything."
"Why we are going to have the devil's own strike," said Mick unable anylonger to contain himself and dancing with glee.
"A strike!" said Julia.
"I hope they will destroy the machines," said Harriet.
r /> "And open the Temple," said Caroline, "or else it will be very dull."
"I have seen a many strikes," said the widow, "but as Chaffing Jack wassaying to me the other day--"
"Chaffing Jack be hanged," said Mick. "Such a slow coach won't do inthese high-pressure times. We are going to do the trick and no mistake.There shan't be a capitalist in England who can get a day's work out ofus, even if he makes the operatives his junior partners."
"I never heard of such things," said Mrs Carey in amazement.
"It's all booked, though," said Devilsdust. "We'll clean out theSavings' Banks; the Benefits and Burials will shell out. I am treasurerof the Ancient Shepherds, and we passed a resolution yesterdayunanimously, that we would devote all our funds to the sustenance ofLabour in this its last and triumphant struggle against Capital."
"Lor!" said Caroline, "I think it will be very jolly."
"As long as you can give us money, I don't care, for my part, how longwe stick out," said Julia.
"Well," said Mrs Carey, "I didn't think there was so much spirit in theplace. As Chaffing Jack was saying the other day--"
"There is no spirit in the place," said Devilsdust, "but we meanto infuse some. Some of our friends are going to pay you a visitto-morrow."
"And who may they be?" said Caroline.
"To-morrow is Sunday," said Devilsdust, "and the miners mean to saytheir prayers in Mowbray Church."
"Well, that will be a shindy!" said Caroline.
"It's a true bill, though," said Mick. "This time to-morrow you willhave ten thousand of them in this town, and if every mill and work in itand ten mile round is not stopped, my name is not MICK RADLEY!"
Book 6 Chapter 9