“Unless the present system is altered, that is all we have to look forward to; and yet you’re one of the upholders of the present system—you help to perpetuate it!”
“’Ow do I help to perpetuate it?” demanded Easton.
“By not trying to find out how to end it—by not helping those who are trying to bring a better state of things into existence. Even if you are indifferent to your own fate—as you seem to be—you have no right to be indifferent to that of the child for whose existence in this world you are responsible. Every man who is not helping to bring about a better state of affairs for the future is helping to perpetuate the present misery, and is therefore the enemy of his own children. There is no such thing as being neutral: we must either help or hinder.”
As Owen opened the door to paint its edge, Bert came along the passage.
“Look out!” he cried, “Misery’s comin’ up the road. ’E’ll be ’ere in a minit.”
It was not often that Easton was glad to hear of the approach of Nimrod, but on this occasion he heard Bert’s message with a sigh of relief.
“I say,” added the boy in a whisper to Owen, “if it comes orf—I mean if you gets the job to do this room—will you ask to ’ave me along of you?”
“Yes, all right, sonny,” replied Owen, and Bert went off to warn the others.
Unaware that he had been observed, Nimrod sneaked stealthily into the house and began softly crawling about from room to room, peeping around corners and squinting through the cracks of doors, and looking through keyholes. He was almost pleased to see that everybody was very hard at work, but on going into Newman’s room Misery was not satisfied with the progress made since his last visit. The fact was that Newman had been forgetting himself again this morning. He had been taking a little pains with the work, doing it something like properly, instead of scamping and rushing it in the usual way. The result was that he had not done enough.
“You know, Newman, this kind of thing won’t do!” Nimrod howled. “You must get over a bit more than this or you won’t suit me! If you can’t move yourself a bit quicker I shall ’ave to get someone else. You’ve been in this room since seven o’clock this morning and it’s dam near time you was out of it!”