"'And how much did you save out of that?'
"'Why, nothink,' I said. 'I 'ad a 'ouse then, and the rent was eight and six a week; and nine and six don't go far to feed and clothe five.'
"'Nonsense!' she says. 'You should always put by a percentage of what you earn, no matter how small it is, against a rainy day. The improvidence, the thriftlessness, of you poor is criminal! I'm afraid you're an idle, worthless fellow, Wright,' she says, 'and not deserving of any help until I see that you've reformed your ways.'"
Then, moved perhaps by the memory of his recent privations, he suddenly seemed to lose all self-control. Springing to his feet, he shook his clenched fist in the air, as with flaming face and voice hoarse with frenzy, he shouted:
"Reform my ways? Idle, worthless fellow, am I? Ah! but the days of grinding us down are gone. The days of them that oppress the poor are over! It's Labour that's going to lord it now, and make the laws, and rule the land. The millions on millions who starve and sweat and labour are no longer to be the toys and tools of the few thousands that sweat them, so that the idle few may live on the fat of the land. The millions have found their leader at last—the man to organise them into armies, and to lay the mines of the revolution that's close at hand, the man that's——"
"Cease your ranting!" I interrupted sternly, for his voice had risen to a screech. "Do you want to arouse the neighbourhood? I've heard all that stuff before, and from the lips of the man who first uttered it—for you are not speaking your own words. You are only speaking words that have been put into your mouth. Wrongs you have, no doubt, but rant and rioting won't right them, and I tell you——"
I was not allowed to finish the sentence. Someone who had no doubt been listening in the passage outside suddenly sprang in, and before I could turn—for my back was to the door—had seized me so as to pin both my arms to my sides.
I did not need to be told the name of my assailant, to see his face, or to hear his voice. Only one man whom I had ever met had arms of such gorilla-like length, of such giant strength.
It was the Dumpling!