按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
rich； and taking all you have for ourselves； the workers； the producers。
We believe you haven't any right to what you've got； that you've fooled
and cheated us out of it。 That's why we women don't care much about the
vote； I suppose； though I never thought of it。 We mean to go on striking
until we've got all that you've got。〃
〃But what will become of us？〃 said Mrs。 Brocklehurst。 〃You wouldn't do
away with all of us。！ I admit there are many who don'tbut some do
sympathize with you； will help you get what you want； help you； perhaps；
to see things more clearly； to go about it lessruthlessly。〃
〃I've told you what we believe；〃 repeated Janet。
〃I'm so glad I came；〃 cried Mrs。 Brocklehurst。 〃It's most interesting！
I never knew what the syndicalists believed。 Why； it's like the French
Revolutiononly worse。 How are you going to get rid of us？ cut our
heads off？〃
Janet could not refrain from smiling。
〃Let you starve； I suppose。〃
〃Really！〃 said Mrs。 Brocklehurst； and appeared to be trying to visualize
the process。 She was a true Athenian； she had discovered some new thing；
she valued discoveries more than all else in life； she collected them；
though she never used them save to discuss them with intellectuals at her
dinner parties。 〃Now you must let me come to Headquarters and get a
glimpse of some of the leadersof Antonelli； and I'm told there's a
fascinating man named Rowe。〃
〃Rolfe；〃 Janet corrected。
〃Rolfethat's it。〃 She glanced down at the diminutive watch； set with
diamonds； on her wrist； rose and addressed Insall。 〃Oh dear； I must be
going； I'm to lunch with Nina Carfax at one； and she's promised to tell
me a lot of things。 She's writing an article for Craven's Weekly all
about the strike and the suffering and injusticeshe says it's been
horribly misrepresented to the public； the mill owners have had it all
their own way。 I think what you're doing is splendid； Brooks； only〃
here she gave him an appealing； rather commiserating look〃only I do
wish you would take more interest inin underlying principles。〃
Insall smiled。
〃It's a question of brains。 You have to have brains to be a
sociologist；〃 he answered； as he held up for her the fur coat。 With a
gesture of gentle reproof she slipped into it； and turned to Janet。
〃You must let me see more of you； my dear；〃 she said。 〃I'm at the best
hotel； I can't remember the name； they're all so horriblebut I'll be
here until to…morrow afternoon。 I want to find out everything。 Come and
call on me。 You're quite the most interesting person I've met for a long
timeI don't think you realize how interesting you are。 Au revoir！〃
She did not seem to expect any reply； taking acquiescence for granted。
Glancing once more at the rows of children； who had devoured their meal
in an almost uncanny silence； she exclaimed； 〃The dears！ I'm going to
send you a cheque； Brooks； even if you have been horrid to meyou always
are。〃
〃Horrid！〃 repeated Insall； 〃put it down to ignorance。〃
He accompanied her down the stairs。 From her willowy walk a
sophisticated observer would have hazarded the guess that her search for
an occupation had included a course of lessons in fancy dancing。
Somewhat dazed by this interview which had been so suddenly forced upon
her； Janet remained seated on the platform。 She had the perception to
recognize that in Mrs。 Brocklehurst and Insall she had come in contact
with a social stratum hitherto beyond the bounds of her experience； those
who belonged to that stratum were not characterized by the possession of
independent incomes alone； but by an attitude toward life； a manner of
not appearing to take its issues desperately。 Ditmar was not like that。
She felt convicted of enthusiasms； she was puzzled； rather annoyed and
ashamed。 Insall and Mrs。 Brocklehurst； different though they were； had
this attitude in common。。。。 Insall； when he returned； regarded her
amusedly。
〃So you'd like to exterminate Mrs。 Brocklehurst？〃 he asked。
And Janet flushed。 〃Well； she forced me to say it。〃
〃Oh； it didn't hurt her；〃 he said。
〃And it didn't help her；〃 Janet responded quickly。
〃No； it didn't help her；〃 Insall agreed； and laughed。
〃But I'm not sure it isn't true；〃 she went on； 〃that we want what she's
got。〃 The remark； on her own lips； surprised Janet a little。 She had
not really meant to make it。 Insall seemed to have the quality of
forcing one to think out loud。
〃And what she wants； you've got；〃 he told her。
〃What have I got？〃
〃Perhaps you'll find out； some day。〃
〃It may be too late；〃 she exclaimed。 〃If you'd only tell me； it might
help。〃
〃I think it's something you'll have to discover for yourself；〃 he
replied； more gravely than was his wont。
She was silent a moment； and then she demanded： 〃Why didn't you tell me
who you were？ You let me think； when I met you in Silliston that day；
that you were a carpenter。 I didn't know you'd written books。〃
〃You can't expect writers to wear uniforms； like policementhough
perhaps we ought to； it might be a little fairer to the public；〃 he said。
〃Besides； I am a carpenter； a better carpenter than a writer。。〃
〃I'd give anything to be an author！〃 she cried。
〃It's a hard life；〃 he assured her。 〃We have to go about seeking
inspiration from others。〃
〃Is that why you came to Hampton？〃
〃Well； not exactly。 It's a queer thing about inspiration； you only find
it when you're not looking for it。〃
She missed the point of this remark； though his eyes were on her。 They
were not like Rolfe's eyes； insinuating； possessive； they had the
anomalistic quality； of being at once personel and impersonal； friendly；
alight； evoking curiosity yet compelling trust。
〃And you didn't tell me；〃 he reproached her； 〃that you were at I。W。W。
Headquarters。〃
A desire for self…justification impelled her to exclaim： 〃You don't
believe in Syndicalismand yet you've come here to feed these children！〃
〃Oh； I think I understand the strike；〃 he said。
〃How？ Have you seen it？ Have you heard the arguments？〃
〃No。 I've seen you。 You've explained it。〃
〃To Mrs。 Brocklehurst？〃
〃It wasn't necessary；〃 he repliedand immediately added； in semi…serious
apology： 〃I thought it was admirable； what you said。 If she'd talked to
a dozen syndicalist leaders； she couldn't have had it put more clearly。
Only I'm afraid she doesn't know the truth when she hears it。〃
〃Now you're making fun of me！〃
〃Indeed I'm not；〃 he protested。
〃But I didn't give any of the arguments； any of thephilosophy；〃 she
pronounced the word hesitatingly。 〃I don't understand it yet as well as
I should。〃
〃You are it；〃 he said。 〃It's not always easy to understand what we are
it's generally after we've become something else that we comprehend what
we have been。〃
And while she was pondering over this one of the ladies who had been
waiting on the table came toward Insall。
〃The children have finished； Brooks；〃 she informed him。 〃It's time to
let in the others。〃
Insall turned to Janet。 〃This is Miss Bumpusand this is Mrs。 Maturin；〃
he said。 〃Mrs。 Maturin lives in Silliston。〃
The greeting of this lady differed from that of Mrs。 Brocklehurst。 She；
too； took Janet's hand。
〃Have you come to help us？〃 she asked。
And Janet said： 〃Oh； I'd like to； but I have other work。〃
〃Come in and see us again；〃 said Insall； and Janet； promising； took her
leave。。。。
〃Who is she； Brooks？〃 Mrs。 Maturin asked； when Janet had gone。
〃Well；〃 he answered； 〃I don't know。 What does it matter？〃
Mrs。 Maturin smiled。
〃I should say that it did matter；〃 she replied。 〃But there's something
unusual about herwhere did you find her？〃
〃She found me。〃 And Insall explained。 〃She was a stenographer； it
seems； but now she's enlisted heart and soul with the syndicalists；〃 he
added。
〃A history？〃 Mrs。 Maturin queried。 〃Well； I needn't askit's written on
her face。〃
〃That's all I know；〃 said Insall。
〃I'd like to know；〃 said Mrs。 Maturin。 〃You say she's in the strike？〃
〃I should rather put it that the strike is in her。〃
〃What do you mean； Brooks？〃
But Insall did not reply。
Janet came away from Dey Street in a state of mental and emotional
confusion。 The encounter with Mrs。 Brocklehurst had been upsetting； she
had an uneasy feeling of having made a fool of herself in Insall's eyes；
she desired his approval；； even on that occasion when she had first met
him and mistaken him for a workman she had been conscious of a compelling
faculty in him； of a pressure he exerted demanding justification of
herself； and to…day； because she was now pledged to Syndicalism； because
she had made the startling discovery that he was a writer of some renown；
she had been more than ever anxious to vindicate her cause。 She found
herself； indeed； wondering uneasily whether there were a higher truth of
which he was in possession。 And the fact that his attitude toward her
had been one of sympathy and friendliness rather than of disapproval；
that his insight seemed to have fathomed her case； apprehended it in all
but the details； was even more disturbingyet vaguely consoling。 The
consolatory element in the situation was somehow connected with