V + 

Men and Masters + 

тАЬWell, Stephen,тАЭ said Bounderby, in his windy manner, тАЬwhatтАЩs this I hear? What have these pests of the earth been doing to you? Come in, and speak up.тАЭ + 

It was into the drawing-room that he was thus bidden. A tea-table was set out; and Mr.┬аBounderbyтАЩs young wife, and her brother, and a great gentleman from London, were present. To whom Stephen made his obeisance, closing the door and standing near it, with his hat in his hand. + 

тАЬThis is the man I was telling you about, Harthouse,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby. The gentleman he addressed, who was talking to Mrs.┬аBounderby on the sofa, got up, saying in an indolent way, тАЬOh really?тАЭ and dawdled to the hearthrug where Mr.┬аBounderby stood. + 

тАЬNow,тАЭ said Bounderby, тАЬspeak up!тАЭ + 

After the four days he had passed, this address fell rudely and discordantly on StephenтАЩs ear. Besides being a rough handling of his wounded mind, it seemed to assume that he really was the self-interested deserter he had been called. + 

тАЬWhat were it, sir,тАЭ said Stephen, тАЬas yo were pleased to want wiтАЩ me?тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy, I have told you,тАЭ returned Bounderby. тАЬSpeak up like a man, since you are a man, and tell us about yourself and this Combination.тАЭ + 

тАЬWiтАЩ yor pardon, sir,тАЭ said Stephen Blackpool, тАЬI haтАЩ nowt to sen about it.тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аBounderby, who was always more or less like a wind, finding something in his way here, began to blow at it directly. + 

тАЬNow, look here, Harthouse,тАЭ said he, тАЬhereтАЩs a specimen of тАЩem. When this man was here once before, I warned this man against the mischievous strangers who are always aboutтБатАФand who ought to be hanged wherever they are foundтБатАФand I told this man that he was going in the wrong direction. Now, would you believe it, that although they have put this mark upon him, he is such a slave to them still, that heтАЩs afraid to open his lips about them?тАЭ + 

тАЬI sed as I had nowt to sen, sir; not as I was fearfoтАЩ oтАЩ openinтАЩ my lips.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou said! Ah! I know what you said; more than that, I know what you mean, you see. Not always the same thing, by the Lord Harry! Quite different things. You had better tell us at once, that that fellow Slackbridge is not in the town, stirring up the people to mutiny; and that he is not a regular qualified leader of the people: that is, a most confounded scoundrel. You had better tell us so at once; you canтАЩt deceive me. You want to tell us so. Why donтАЩt you?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm as sooary as yo, sir, when the peopleтАЩs leaders is bad,тАЭ said Stephen, shaking his head. тАЬThey taks such as offers. Haply тАЩtis naтАЩ the smaтАЩest oтАЩ their misfortuns when they can get no better.тАЭ + 

The wind began to get boisterous. + 

тАЬNow, youтАЩll think this pretty well, Harthouse,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby. тАЬYouтАЩll think this tolerably strong. YouтАЩll say, upon my soul this is a tidy specimen of what my friends have to deal with; but this is nothing, sir! You shall hear me ask this man a question. Pray, Mr.┬аBlackpoolтАЭтБатАФwind springing up very fastтБатАФтАЬmay I take the liberty of asking you how it happens that you refused to be in this Combination?тАЭ + 

тАЬHow тАЩt happens?тАЭ + 

тАЬAh!тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, with his thumbs in the arms of his coat, and jerking his head and shutting his eyes in confidence with the opposite wall: тАЬhow it happens.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩd leefer not coom to тАЩt, sir; but sin you put thтАЩ questionтБатАФanтАЩ not wantтАЩn tтАЩ be ill-mannerтАЩnтБатАФIтАЩll answer. I ha passed a promess.тАЭ + 

тАЬNot to me, you know,тАЭ said Bounderby. (Gusty weather with deceitful calms. One now prevailing.) + 

тАЬO no, sir. Not to yo.тАЭ + 

тАЬAs for me, any consideration for me has had just nothing at all to do with it,тАЭ said Bounderby, still in confidence with the wall. тАЬIf only Josiah Bounderby of Coketown had been in question, you would have joined and made no bones about it?тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy yes, sir. тАЩTis true.тАЭ + 

тАЬThough he knows,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, now blowing a gale, тАЬthat there are a set of rascals and rebels whom transportation is too good for! Now, Mr.┬аHarthouse, you have been knocking about in the world some time. Did you ever meet with anything like that man out of this blessed country?тАЭ And Mr.┬аBounderby pointed him out for inspection, with an angry finger. + 

тАЬNay, maтАЩam,тАЭ said Stephen Blackpool, staunchly protesting against the words that had been used, and instinctively addressing himself to Louisa, after glancing at her face. тАЬNot rebels, nor yet rascals. Nowt oтАЩ thтАЩ kind, maтАЩam, nowt oтАЩ thтАЩ kind. TheyтАЩve not doon me a kindness, maтАЩam, as I know and feel. But thereтАЩs not a dozen men amoong тАЩem, maтАЩamтБатАФa dozen? Not sixтБатАФbut what believes as he has doon his duty by the rest and by himseln. God forbid as I, that haтАЩ known, and hadтАЩn experience oтАЩ these men aw my lifeтБатАФI, that haтАЩ ettтАЩn anтАЩ droonken wiтАЩ тАЩem, anтАЩ seetтАЩn wiтАЩ тАЩem, and toilтАЩn wiтАЩ тАЩem, and lovтАЩn тАЩem, should fail fur to stan by тАЩem wiтАЩ the truth, let тАЩem haтАЩ doon to me what they may!тАЭ + 

He spoke with the rugged earnestness of his place and characterтБатАФdeepened perhaps by a proud consciousness that he was faithful to his class under all their mistrust; but he fully remembered where he was, and did not even raise his voice. + 

тАЬNo, maтАЩam, no. TheyтАЩre true to one another, faithfoтАЩ to one another, тАЩfectionate to one another, eтАЩen to death. Be poor amoong тАЩem, be sick amoong тАЩem, grieve amoong тАЩem for onny oтАЩ thтАЩ monny causes that carries grief to the poor manтАЩs door, anтАЩ theyтАЩll be tender wiтАЩ yo, gentle wiтАЩ yo, comfortable wiтАЩ yo, Chrisen wiтАЩ yo. Be sure oтАЩ that, maтАЩam. TheyтАЩd be riven to bits, ere ever theyтАЩd be different.тАЭ + 

тАЬIn short,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, тАЬitтАЩs because they are so full of virtues that they have turned you adrift. Go through with it while you are about it. Out with it.тАЭ + 

тАЬHow тАЩtis, maтАЩam,тАЭ resumed Stephen, appearing still to find his natural refuge in LouisaтАЩs face, тАЬthat what is best in us fok, seems to turn us most to trouble anтАЩ misfortтАЩn anтАЩ mistake, I dunno. But тАЩtis so. I know тАЩtis, as I know the heavens is over me ahint the smoke. WeтАЩre patient too, anтАЩ wants in general to do right. AnтАЩ I canna think the fawt is aw wiтАЩ us.тАЭ + 

тАЬNow, my friend,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, whom he could not have exasperated more, quite unconscious of it though he was, than by seeming to appeal to anyone else, тАЬif you will favour me with your attention for half a minute, I should like to have a word or two with you. You said just now, that you had nothing to tell us about this business. You are quite sure of that before we go any further.тАЭ + 

тАЬSir, I am sure on тАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬHereтАЩs a gentleman from London present,тАЭ Mr.┬аBounderby made a backhanded point at Mr.┬аJames Harthouse with his thumb, тАЬa Parliament gentleman. I should like him to hear a short bit of dialogue between you and me, instead of taking the substance of itтБатАФfor I know precious well, beforehand, what it will be; nobody knows better than I do, take notice!тБатАФinstead of receiving it on trust from my mouth.тАЭ + 

Stephen bent his head to the gentleman from London, and showed a rather more troubled mind than usual. He turned his eyes involuntarily to his former refuge, but at a look from that quarter (expressive though instantaneous) he settled them on Mr.┬аBounderbyтАЩs face. + 

тАЬNow, what do you complain of?тАЭ asked Mr.┬аBounderby. + 

тАЬI haтАЩ not coom here, sir,тАЭ Stephen reminded him, тАЬto complain. I coom for that I were sent for.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat,тАЭ repeated Mr.┬аBounderby, folding his arms, тАЬdo you people, in a general way, complain of?тАЭ + 

Stephen looked at him with some little irresolution for a moment, and then seemed to make up his mind. + 

тАЬSir, I were never good at showinтАЩ oтАЩ тАЩt, though I ha hadтАЩn my share in feeling oтАЩ тАЩt. тАЩDeed we are in a muddle, sir. Look round townтБатАФso rich as тАЩtisтБатАФand see the numbers oтАЩ people as has been broughten into bein heer, fur to weave, anтАЩ to card, anтАЩ to piece out a livinтАЩ, aw the same one way, somehows, тАЩtwixt their cradles and their graves. Look how we live, anтАЩ wheer we live, anтАЩ in what numbers, anтАЩ by what chances, and wiтАЩ what sameness; and look how the mills is awlus a goin, and how they never works us no nigher to ony disтАЩant objectтБатАФceptin awlus, Death. Look how you considers of us, and writes of us, and talks of us, and goes up wiтАЩ yor deputations to Secretaries oтАЩ State тАЩbout us, and how yo are awlus right, and how we are awlus wrong, and never hadтАЩn no reason in us sin ever we were born. Look how this ha growen anтАЩ growen, sir, bigger anтАЩ bigger, broader anтАЩ broader, harder anтАЩ harder, fro year to year, fro generation unto generation. Who can look on тАЩt, sir, and fairly tell a man тАЩtis not a muddle?тАЭ + 

тАЬOf course,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby. тАЬNow perhaps youтАЩll let the gentleman know, how you would set this muddle (as youтАЩre so fond of calling it) to rights.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donno, sir. I canna be expecten to тАЩt. тАЩTis not me as should be looken to for that, sir. тАЩTis them as is put ower me, and ower aw the rest of us. What do they tak upon themseln, sir, if not to doтАЩt?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll tell you something towards it, at any rate,тАЭ returned Mr.┬аBounderby. тАЬWe will make an example of half a dozen Slackbridges. WeтАЩll indict the blackguards for felony, and get тАЩem shipped off to penal settlements.тАЭ + 

Stephen gravely shook his head. + 

тАЬDonтАЩt tell me we wonтАЩt, man,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, by this time blowing a hurricane, тАЬbecause we will, I tell you!тАЭ + 

тАЬSir,тАЭ returned Stephen, with the quiet confidence of absolute certainty, тАЬif yo was tтАЩ tak a hundred SlackbridgesтБатАФaw as there is, and aw the number ten times towdтБатАФanтАЩ was tтАЩ sew тАЩem up in separate sacks, anтАЩ sink тАЩem in the deepest ocean as were made ere ever dry land coom to be, yoтАЩd leave the muddle just wheer тАЩtis. Mischeevous strangers!тАЭ said Stephen, with an anxious smile; тАЬwhen ha we not heern, I am sure, sin ever we can call to mind, oтАЩ thтАЩ mischeevous strangers! тАЩTis not by them the troubleтАЩs made, sir. тАЩTis not wiтАЩ them тАЩt commences. I ha no favour for тАЩemтБатАФI ha no reason to favour тАЩemтБатАФbut тАЩtis hopeless and useless to dream oтАЩ takin them fro their trade, тАЩstead oтАЩ takin their trade fro them! Aw thatтАЩs now about me in this room were heer afore I coom, anтАЩ will be heer when I am gone. Put that clock aboard a ship anтАЩ pack it off to Norfolk Island, anтАЩ the time will go on just the same. So тАЩtis wiтАЩ Slackbridge every bit.тАЭ + 

Reverting for a moment to his former refuge, he observed a cautionary movement of her eyes towards the door. Stepping back, he put his hand upon the lock. But he had not spoken out of his own will and desire; and he felt it in his heart a noble return for his late injurious treatment to be faithful to the last to those who had repudiated him. He stayed to finish what was in his mind. + 

тАЬSir, I canna, wiтАЩ my little learning anтАЩ my common way, tell the genelman what will better aw thisтБатАФthough some working men oтАЩ this town could, above my powersтБатАФbut I can tell him what I know will never do тАЩt. The strong hand will never do тАЩt. VictтАЩry and triumph will never do тАЩt. Agreeing fur to mak one side unnatтАЩrally awlus and forever right, and toother side unnatтАЩrally awlus and forever wrong, will never, never do тАЩt. Nor yet lettin alone will never do тАЩt. Let thousands upon thousands alone, aw leading the like lives and aw fawтАЩen into the like muddle, and they will be as one, and yo will be as anoother, wiтАЩ a black unpassable world betwixt yo, just as long or short a time as sich-like misery can last. Not drawin nigh to fok, wiтАЩ kindness and patience anтАЩ cheery ways, that so draws nigh to one another in their monny troubles, and so cherishes one another in their distresses wiтАЩ what they need themselnтБатАФlike, I humbly believe, as no people the genelman ha seen in aw his travels can beatтБатАФwill never do тАЩt till thтАЩ Sun turns tтАЩ ice. Most oтАЩ aw, rating тАЩem as so much power, and regтАЩlatin тАЩem as if they was figures in a soom, or machines: wiтАЩout loves and likens, wiтАЩout memories and inclinations, wiтАЩout souls to weary and souls to hopeтБатАФwhen aw goes quiet, draggin on wiтАЩ тАЩem as if theyтАЩd nowt oтАЩ thтАЩ kind, and when aw goes onquiet, reproachin тАЩem for their want oтАЩ sitch humanly feelins in their dealins wiтАЩ yoтБатАФthis will never do тАЩt, sir, till GodтАЩs work is onmade.тАЭ + 

Stephen stood with the open door in his hand, waiting to know if anything more were expected of him. + 

тАЬJust stop a moment,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, excessively red in the face. тАЬI told you, the last time you were here with a grievance, that you had better turn about and come out of that. And I also told you, if you remember, that I was up to the gold spoon lookout.тАЭ + 

тАЬI were not up to тАЩt myseln, sir; I do assure yo.тАЭ + 

тАЬNow itтАЩs clear to me,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, тАЬthat you are one of those chaps who have always got a grievance. And you go about, sowing it and raising crops. ThatтАЩs the business of your life, my friend.тАЭ + 

Stephen shook his head, mutely protesting that indeed he had other business to do for his life. + 

тАЬYou are such a waspish, raspish, ill-conditioned chap, you see,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, тАЬthat even your own Union, the men who know you best, will have nothing to do with you. I never thought those fellows could be right in anything; but I tell you what! I so far go along with them for a novelty, that IтАЩll have nothing to do with you either.тАЭ + 

Stephen raised his eyes quickly to his face. + 

тАЬYou can finish off what youтАЩre at,тАЭ said Mr.┬аBounderby, with a meaning nod, тАЬand then go elsewhere.тАЭ + 

тАЬSir, yo know weel,тАЭ said Stephen expressively, тАЬthat if I canna get work wiтАЩ yo, I canna get it elsewheer.тАЭ + 

The reply was, тАЬWhat I know, I know; and what you know, you know. I have no more to say about it.тАЭ + 

Stephen glanced at Louisa again, but her eyes were raised to his no more; therefore, with a sigh, and saying, barely above his breath, тАЬHeaven help us aw in this world!тАЭ he departed. + 