make him laugh; she had power over him in a number of ways and he could read her every sign. Her raised eyes that had caused him to splatter had indicated her opinion of the quality of the conversation. The conversation should have been of interest to her as her father and Mr. Bellingham were talking of London, but it was the political London they were discussing, not the social London. She turned her head and looked in Bellingham's direction as he said vehemently, "That Sadler, not satisfied with attacking the enclosures, he's now pressing the Ten Hours Bill. The Second Reading was in March and if we're not careful he'll get it through. Did you ever know anything like it?
They're asking for trouble; Malpass's philosophy is the only remedy and those with any sense know it. It's only through poverty and hunger that the population can be kept at balance; feed the mob and where are you? And he wants to bar the employment of children under nine. He wants to bring the country to ruin; burn it down in fact, for where will they get the climbing boys? They're too big over nine. And on a ten-hour day mill owners will go bankrupt. And think of the reorganization in the mines this will cause. The man's mad. Him and his committee, he's had it running hell for leather from April, and it holds out the kind of policy that could bring this country to its knees. You've never read such nonsense as is in his report, such piffling little things as wanting to eliminate strappers from the mills. Where will you get boys to work unless they're strapped?
--boys are lazy by nature. He talks about them being crippled and deformed and old at twenty. Of course they're old at twenty, they've got to be old at twenty. It's as Malpass said: "The population must be kept down, at least the populace." Moreover we know the bishop's words are right: "Everything is the will of God, and poverty and hunger is the cross the poor have to bear." You cannot understand, John, can you"--Mr. Bellingham now leaned towards his host as he put the question" --the stupidity and shortsightedness of such men as Sadler?
"
He did not wait for an answer but went on, his voice loud now.
"And he's not alone. This is serious. Men who you'd think would know better because the Bill is against their interests are showing sympathy with it. There's this John Wood of Bradford. He's not only employing a doctor in his mill but has put baths on the premises.
Can you believe it? You'll not believe this either, but he's sent his overseer up to the committee to tell them of all the harm that can come to children employed too early and made to work over twelve hours. I tell you, things are coming to a pretty pass. " He held out his glass to his host to be refilled and ended, " You're well out of it, well out of it, John. "
Lord Fischel moved his head twice and murmured, "Yes, yes." Then reaching over, he filled his son's glass with port. But there was no glass in front of his daughter to be refilled. His daughter wasn't allowed wine, although she had dared to protest to him during their first meal together that they drank nothing else but wine in Heidelberg.
He now looked at her and gave her the signal that she could leave the table, and knew a rising anger when she didn't take the cue straightaway. It was almost five minutes later before she rose and made her exit.
Going into the drawing room, she flopped down on to a deep couch before the open fire and, putting her hands behind her head, she stretched out her legs in a most unladylike fashion and muttered, "Mem Gotti Mein Gott!" Then, her head still back, she rolled it first one way, then the other, taking in the room, the faded tapestries on the heavily upholstered chairs, the black carved Chinese cabinets, the spindle-legged occasional tables, the faded rose velvet curtains with their heavy be tasseled pelmets, the carpet, thick, but the colors faded to neutrality, and overall, and in spite of the crowded furniture, the great emptiness
They're asking for trouble; Malpass's philosophy is the only remedy and those with any sense know it. It's only through poverty and hunger that the population can be kept at balance; feed the mob and where are you? And he wants to bar the employment of children under nine. He wants to bring the country to ruin; burn it down in fact, for where will they get the climbing boys? They're too big over nine. And on a ten-hour day mill owners will go bankrupt. And think of the reorganization in the mines this will cause. The man's mad. Him and his committee, he's had it running hell for leather from April, and it holds out the kind of policy that could bring this country to its knees. You've never read such nonsense as is in his report, such piffling little things as wanting to eliminate strappers from the mills. Where will you get boys to work unless they're strapped?
--boys are lazy by nature. He talks about them being crippled and deformed and old at twenty. Of course they're old at twenty, they've got to be old at twenty. It's as Malpass said: "The population must be kept down, at least the populace." Moreover we know the bishop's words are right: "Everything is the will of God, and poverty and hunger is the cross the poor have to bear." You cannot understand, John, can you"--Mr. Bellingham now leaned towards his host as he put the question" --the stupidity and shortsightedness of such men as Sadler?
"
He did not wait for an answer but went on, his voice loud now.
"And he's not alone. This is serious. Men who you'd think would know better because the Bill is against their interests are showing sympathy with it. There's this John Wood of Bradford. He's not only employing a doctor in his mill but has put baths on the premises.
Can you believe it? You'll not believe this either, but he's sent his overseer up to the committee to tell them of all the harm that can come to children employed too early and made to work over twelve hours. I tell you, things are coming to a pretty pass. " He held out his glass to his host to be refilled and ended, " You're well out of it, well out of it, John. "
Lord Fischel moved his head twice and murmured, "Yes, yes." Then reaching over, he filled his son's glass with port. But there was no glass in front of his daughter to be refilled. His daughter wasn't allowed wine, although she had dared to protest to him during their first meal together that they drank nothing else but wine in Heidelberg.
He now looked at her and gave her the signal that she could leave the table, and knew a rising anger when she didn't take the cue straightaway. It was almost five minutes later before she rose and made her exit.
Going into the drawing room, she flopped down on to a deep couch before the open fire and, putting her hands behind her head, she stretched out her legs in a most unladylike fashion and muttered, "Mem Gotti Mein Gott!" Then, her head still back, she rolled it first one way, then the other, taking in the room, the faded tapestries on the heavily upholstered chairs, the black carved Chinese cabinets, the spindle-legged occasional tables, the faded rose velvet curtains with their heavy be tasseled pelmets, the carpet, thick, but the colors faded to neutrality, and overall, and in spite of the crowded furniture, the great emptiness
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