ACT III.
The same evening. The ante-room of the Assembly Hall—a dingy place, used on occasion as a dressing-room, and containing a small deal table and a few battered cane-bottomed chairs. Two gas-brackets project from the wall at the right and wire netting protects the lights. A door r. gives access and one c. up three stairs leads on to the platform. A rough hat-rack under the left gas-jet bears two ancient bowler hats and a cloth cap. Their owners are three members of the mens executive—Robert Jones, James Pullen and Joseph Livesey. Pullen, the owner of the cap, is smoking a clay pipe. He is a stoutish man of about forty, obviously no teetotaller, with a moustache and an obstinate jaw. Jones and Livesey, the leaders of the strike movement, are perhaps ten years his juniors and just a shade more educated in their accents. All are roughly dressed, but in their evening, not their working clothes. Livesey wearing a very much cut away black coat and a waistcoat adorned with a silver watch chain. Pullen has a scarf and no collar, but the other pair wear celluloid collars over cotton shirts. Pullen is sitting at the table sideways, r. Jones has his back to the fire, l. and Livesey is walking about above table.
PULLEN. What 'A says is this 'ere. Maister Thompson's a jolly good sort. Gives us 'af-day Thursday to play us in, with full brass an' all. 'And-some, A calls it, 'andsome. (He emphasizes by striking his fist on the table.)
JONES. Tha's a fule, Jim Pullen. Tha's allays drawin' red 'erring? across the trail. Tha makes me tired. 'Ere's a mate o' ours walks into th' 'oist same as it might be thee or me an' th' next minute 'e's gone to kingdom come. Thompson gives us an 'af-day off to attend th' buryin' if us wants to, an' theer's thou an' a few like thee ready to lick 'is boots because 'e's yeard us snarlin' an' chucked us a bone to shut our jaws on. Can't tha see 'is game?
LIVESEY (behind table). Oh, A'm noan sayin' nought about that. That were an accident like what might 'appen anywheers. It's th' whole system we want altered.
PULLEN. System is it? Aye, tha find me a system as'll give us more beer an' more easy time to sup it in an' A'm with thee.
LIVESEY. It's not so much for usselves as for our childer.
PULLEN (shuffling irritably). A'm noan wed. 'Ad more sense. If you young 'uns will marry, you mun tak' consequences.