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‘Oh； no they won't； Rushton's too artful for that。 It seems the agent is a pal of 'is； and they worked it between 'em。'
‘Wot a bloody cheek； though！' exclaimed Harlow。
‘Oh； that's nothing to some of the things I've known 'em do before now；' said the man on the pail。 ‘Why； don't you remember； back in the summer； that carved hoak hall table as Rushton pinched out of that 'ouse on Grand Parade？'
‘Yes； that was a bit of all right too； wasn't it？' cried Philpot； and several of the others laughed。
‘You know； that big 'ouse we did up last summer … No。 596；' Wantley continued； for the benefit of those not ‘in the know'。 ‘Well； it 'ad bin empty for a long time and we found this 'ere table in a cupboard under the stairs。 A bloody fine table it was too。 One of them bracket tables what you fix to the wall； without no legs。 It 'ad a 'arf…round marble top to it； and underneath was a carved hoak figger； a mermaid； with 'er arms up over 'er 'ead 'oldin' up the table top … something splendid！' The man on the pail waxed enthusiastic as he thought of it。 ‘Must 'ave been worth at least five quid。 Well； just as we pulled this 'ere table out； who should come in but Rushton； and when 'e seen it； 'e tells Crass to cover it over with a sack and not to let nobody see it。 And then 'e clears orf to the shop and sends the boy down with the truck and 'as it took up to 'is own 'ouse； and it's there now； fixed in the front 'all。 I was sent up there a couple of months ago to paint and varnish the lobby doors and I seen it meself。 There's a pitcher called 〃The Day of Judgement〃 'angin' on the wall just over it … thunder and lightning and earthquakes and corpses gettin' up out o' their graves … something bloody 'orrible！ And underneath the picture is a card with a tex out of the Bible … 〃Christ is the 'ead of this 'ouse： the unknown guest at every meal。 The silent listener to every conversation。〃 I was workin' there for three or four days and I got to know it orf by 'eart。'
‘Well； that takes the biskit； don't it？' said Philpot。
‘Yes： but the best of it was；' the man on the pail proceeded； ‘the best of it was； when ole Misery 'eard about the table； 'e was so bloody wild because 'e didn't get it 'imself that 'e went upstairs and pinched one of the venetian blinds and 'ad it took up to 'is own 'ouse by the boy； and a few days arterwards one of the carpenters 'ad to go and fix it up in 'is bedroom。'
‘And wasn't it never found out？' inquired Easton。
‘Well； there was a bit of talk about it。 The agent wanted to know where it was； but Pontius Pilate swore black and white as there 'adn't been no blind in that room； and the end of it was that the firm got the order to supply a new one。'
‘What I can't understand is； who did the table belong to？' said Harlow。
‘It was a fixture belongin' to the 'ouse；' replied Wantley。 ‘But I suppose the former tenants had some piece of furniture of their own that they wanted to put in the 'all where this table was fixed； so they took it down and stored it away in this 'ere cupboard； and when they left the 'ouse I suppose they didn't trouble to put it back again。 Anyway； there was the mark on the wall where it used to be fixed； but when we did the staircase down； the place was papered over； and I suppose the landlord or the agent never give the table a thought。 Anyhow； Rushton got away with it all right。'
A number of similar stories were related by several others concerning the doings of different employers they had worked for； but after a time the conversation reverted to the subject that was uppermost in their thoughts … the impending slaughter； and the improbability of being able to obtain another job； considering the large number of men who were already out of employment。
‘I can't make it out； myself；' remarked Easton。 ‘Things seems to get worse every year。 There don't seem to be 'arf the work about that there used to be； and even what there is is messed up anyhow； as if the people who 'as it done can't afford to pay for it。'
‘Yes；' said Harlow； ‘that's true enough。 Why； just look at the work that's in one o' them 'ouses on the Grand Parade。 People must 'ave 'ad more money to spend in those days； you know； all those massive curtain cornishes over the drawing… and dining…room winders … gilded solid！ Why； nowadays they'd want all the bloody 'ouse done down right through … inside and out； for the money it cost to gild one of them。'
‘It seems that nearly everybody is more or less 'ard up nowadays；' said Philpot。 ‘I'm jiggered if I can understand it； but there it is。'
‘You should ast Owen to explain it to yer；' remarked Crass with a jeering laugh。 ‘'E knows all about wot's the cause of poverty； but 'e won't tell nobody。 'E's been GOIN' to tell us wot it is for a long time past； but it don't seem to come orf。'
Crass had not yet had an opportunity of producing the Obscurer cutting； and he made this remark in the hope of turning the conversation into a channel that would enable him to do so。 But Owen did not respond； and went on reading his newspaper。
‘We ain't 'ad no lectures at all lately； 'ave we？' said Harlow in an injured tone。 ‘I think it's about time Owen explained what the real cause of poverty is。 I'm beginning to get anxious about it。'
The others laughed。
When Philpot had finished eating his dinner he went out of the kitchen and presently returned with a small pair of steps； which he opened and placed in a corner of the room； with the back of the steps facing the audience。
‘There you are； me son！' he exclaimed to Owen。 ‘There's a pulpit for yer。'
‘Yes！ come on 'ere！' cried Crass； feeling in his waistcoat pocket for the cutting。 ‘Tell us wot's the real cause of poverty。'
‘'Ear； 'ear；' shouted the man on the pail。 ‘Git up into the bloody pulpit and give us a sermon。'
As Owen made no response to the invitations； the crowd began to hoot and groan。
‘Come on； man；' whispered Philpot； winking his goggle eye persuasively at Owen。 ‘Come on； just for a bit of turn； to pass the time away。'
Owen accordingly ascended the steps … much to the secret delight of Crass … and was immediately greeted with a round of enthusiastic applause。
‘There you are； you see；' said Philpot； addressing the meeting。 ‘It's no use booin' and threatenin'； because 'e's one of them lecturers wot can honly be managed with kindness。 If it 'adn't a bin for me； 'e wouldn't 'ave agreed to speak at all。'
Philpot having been unanimously elected chairman； proposed by Harlow and seconded by the man on the pail； Owen commenced：
‘Mr Chairman and gentlemen：
‘Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking； it is with some degree of hesitation that I venture to address myself to such a large； distinguished； fashionable； and intelligent looking audience as that which I have the honour of seeing before me on the present occasion。' （Applause。）
‘One of the finest speakers I've ever 'eard！' remarked the man on the pail in a loud whisper to the chairman； who motioned him to be silent。
Owen continued：
‘In some of my previous lectures I have endeavoured to convince you that money is in itself of no value and of no real use whatever。 In this I am afraid I have been rather unsuccessful。'
‘Not a bit of it； mate；' cried Crass； sarcastically。 ‘We all agrees with it。'
‘'Ear； 'ear；' shouted Easton。 ‘If a bloke was to come in 'ere now and orfer to give me a quid … I'd refuse it！'
‘So would I；' said Philpot。
‘Well； whether you agree or not； the fact remains。 A man might possess so much money that； in England； he would be comparatively rich； and yet if he went to some country where the cost of living is very high he would find himself in a condition of poverty。 Or one might conceivably be in a place where the necessaries of life could not be bought for money at all。 Therefore it is more conducive to an intelligent understanding of the subject if we say that to be rich consists not necessarily in having much money； but in being able to enjoy an abundance of the things that are made by work； and that poverty consists not merely in being without money； but in being short of the necessaries and comforts of life … or in other words in being short of the Benefits of Civilization； the things that are all； without exception； produced by work。 Whether you agree or not with anything else that I say； you will all admit that that is our condition at the present time。 We do not enjoy a full share of the benefits of civilization … we are all in a state of more or less abject poverty。'
‘Question！' cried Crass； and there were loud murmurs of indignant dissent from several quarters as Owen proceeded：
‘How does it happen that we are so short of the things that are made by work？'
‘The reason why we're short of the things that's made by work；' interrupted Crass； mimicking Owen's manner； ‘is that we ain't got the bloody money to buy 'em。'
‘Yes；' said the man on the pail； ‘and as I said before； if all the money in the country was shared out equal today according to Owen's ideas … in six months' time it would be all back again in the same 'ands as it is now； and what are you goin' to do then？'
‘Share again； of course。'
This answer came derisively from several places at the sa