Some of them laughed in a silly, half-ashamed way.
“How do YOU reckon it could be altered?” said Harlow.
“The way to alter it is, first to enlighten the people as to the real cause of their sufferings, and then—”
“Well,” interrupted Crass, with a self-satisfied chuckle, “it’ll take a better bloody man than you to enlighten ME!”
“I don’t want to be henlightened into Darkness!” said Slyme piously.
“But what sort of System do you propose, then?” repeated Harlow.
“After you’ve got ’em all enlightened—if you don’t believe in sharing out all the money equal, how ARE you goin’ to alter it?”
“I don’t know ’ow ’e’s goin’ to alter it,” sneered Crass, looking at his watch and standing up, “but I do know what the time is—two minits past one!”
“The next lecture,” said Philpot, addressing the meeting as they all prepared to return to work, “the next lecture will be postponded till tomorrer at the usual time, when it will be my painful dooty to call upon Mr Owen to give ’is well-known and most hobnoxious address entitled ‘Work and how to avoid it.’ Hall them as wants to be henlightened kindly attend.”
“Or hall them as don’t get the sack tonight,” remarked Easton grimly.