and madmen would talk. And who shall blame
them? In spite of my three good meals that
day, and the snug bed I could occupy if I wished,
and my social philosophy, and my evolutionary
belief in the slow development and metamorphosis
of things in spite of all this, I say, I felt im
pelled to talk rot with them or hold my tongue.
Poor fools ! Not of their sort are revolutions bred.
And when they are dead and dust, which will be
shortly, other fools will talk bloody revolution as
they gather offal from the spittle-drenched side
walk along Mile End Road to Poplar Workhouse.

Being a foreigner, and a young man, the Carter
and the Carpenter explained things to me and
advised me. Their advice, by the way, was brief
and to the point; it was to get out of the coun
try. " As fast as God ll let me," I assured them;
"I ll hit only the high places, till you won t be
able to see my trail for smoke." They felt the
force of my figures, rather than understood them,
and they nodded their heads approvingly.

"Actually make a man a criminal against is
will," said the Carpenter. " Ere I am, old, younger
men takin my place, my clothes gettin shabbier
an shabbier, an makin it arder every day to get
a job. I go to the casual ward for a bed. Must
be there by two or three in the afternoon or I
won t get in. You saw what happened to-day.

[[79]]

p078 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p079w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p080

v?