at all about that speech he had heard, not even the name
of the orator; and he was to go away -- no, no, it was
preposterous, he must speak to someone; he must find
that man himself and tell him. He would not despise
him, tramp as he was!

So he stepped into an empty row of seats and watched,
and when the crowd had thinned out, he started toward
the platform. The speaker was gone; but there was a
stage-door that stood open, with people passing in and
out, and no one on guard. Jurgis summoned up his cour~
age and went in, and down a hallway, and to the door of
a room where many people were crowded. No one paid
any attention to him, and he pushed in, and in a corner
he saw the man he sought. The orator sat in a chair,
with his shoulders sunk together and his eyes half closed;
his face was ghastly pale, almost greenish in hue, and one
arm lay limp at his side. A big man with spectacles on
stood near him, and kept pushing back the crowd, saying,
"Stand away a little, please; can't you see the comrade
is worn out?"

So Jurgis stood watching, while five or ten minutes
passed. Now and then the man would look up, and ad~
dress a word or two to those who were near him; and, at
last, on one of these occasions, his glance rested on Jurgis.
There seemed to be a slight hint of inquiry about it, and
a sudden impulse seized the other. He stepped forward.

"I wanted to thank you, sir!" he began, in breathless
haste. "I could not go away without telling you how
much -- how glad I am I heard you. I -- I didn't know
anything about it all--"

The big man with the spectacles, who had moved away,
came back at this moment. "The comrade is too tired
to talk to any one--" he began; but the other held up
his hand.

"Wait," he said. "He has something to say to me."
And then he looked into Jurgis's face. "You want to
know more about Socialism?" he asked.

Jurgis started. "I -- I--" he stammered. "Is it
Socialism? I didn't know. I want to know about what

[[370]]

p369 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p370w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p371

v?