“I suppose,” said Braintree’s new interlocutor, “I suppose there will be a good deal of unrest among the miners?”
“On the contrary,” replied Braintree, “there will be a good deal of rest among the miners.”
The other frowned in momentary doubt, and said very quickly, “You don’t mean the strike is off?”
“The strike is very much on,” said Braintree, grimly, “so there will be no more unrest.”
“Now, what do you mean?” cried the very practical young lady, shortly destined to be the Princess of the Troubadours.
“I mean what I say,” he replied, shortly. “I say there will be a great deal of rest among the miners. You always talk as if striking meant throwing a bomb or blowing up a house. Striking simply means resting.”
“Why, it’s quite a paradox,” cried his hostess, with a sort of joy, as if it were a new parlour game and her party was now really going to be a success.
“I should have thought it was a platitude, otherwise a plain truth,” replied Braintree. “During a strike the workers are resting; and a jolly new experience for some of them, I can tell you.”
“May we not say,” said Wister, in a deep voice, “that the truest rest is in labour?”
“You may,” said Braintree, dryly. “It’s a free country–for you anyhow. And while you’re about it, you may also say that the truest labour is in rest. And then you will be quite delighted with the notion of a strike.”