the dwelling place of ligh-第52部分

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unions　and　mill　agents：　interviewing　Claude　Ditmar；　the　strongest　man　in
Hampton　that　day。　　He　at　least　knew　what　ought　to　be　done；　and　even
before　his　siren　broke　the　silence　of　the　morning　hours　in　vigorous　and
emphatic　terms　he　had　informed　the　Mayor　and　Council　of　their　obvious
duty。　　These　strikers　were　helots；　unorganized　scum；　the　regular　unions
by　comparison　respectableheld　aloof　from　them。　　Here；　in　effect；　was
his　argument：　a　strong　show　of　force　was　imperative；　if　the　police　and
deputies　were　inadequate；　request　the　Governor　to　call　out　the　local
militia；　but　above　all；　waste　no　time；　arrest　the　ringleaders；　the
plotters；　break　up　all　gatherings；　keep　the　streets　clear。　　He　demanded
from　the　law　protection　of　his　property；　protection　for　those　whose　right
to　continue　at　work　was　inalienable。　　He　was　listened　to　with　sympathy
and　respectbut　nothing　was　done！　　The　world　had　turned　upside　down
indeed　if　the　City　Government　of　Hampton　refused　to　take　the　advice　of
the　agent　of　the　Chippering　Mill！　　American　institutions　were　a　failure！
But　such　was　the　fact。　　Some　unnamed　fear；　outweighing　their　dread　of　the
retributions　of　Capital；　possessed　these　men；　made　them　supine；　derelict
in　the　face　of　their　obvious　duty。

By　the　faint　grey　light　of　that　bitter　January　morning　Ditmar　made　his
way　to　the　mill。　　In　Faber　Street　dark　figures　flitted　silently　across
the　ghostly　whiteness　of　the　snow；　and　gathered　in　groups　on　the　corners；
seeking　to　avoid　these；　other　figures　hurried　along　the　sidewalks　close
to　the　buildings；　to　be　halted；　accosted；　pleaded　withthreatened；
perhaps。　　Picketing　had　already　begun！　　The　effect　of　this　pantomime　of
the　eternal　struggle　for　survivals　which　he　at　first　beheld　from　a
distance；　was　to　exaggerate　appallingly　the　emptiness　of　the　wide　street；
to　emphasize　the　absence　of　shoppers　and　vehicles；　and　a　bluish　darkness
lurked　in　the　stores；　whose　plate　glass　windows　were　frosted　in　quaint
designs。　　Where　were　the　police？　　It　was　not　fear　that　Ditmar　felt；　he
was　galvanized　and　dominated　by　anger；　by　an　overwhelming　desire　for
action；　physical　combat　would　have　brought　him　relief；　and　as　he
quickened　his　steps　he　itched　to　seize　with　his　own　hands　these
foreigners　who　had　dared　to　interfere　with　his　cherished　plans；　who　had
had　the　audacity　to　challenge　the　principles　of　his　government　which
welcomed　them　to　its　shores。　　He　would　have　liked　to　wring　their　necks。
His　philosophy；　too；　was　environmental。　　And　beneath　this　wrath；
stimulating　and　energizing　it　the　more；　was　the　ache　in　his　soul　from　the
loss　for　which　he　held　these　enemies　responsible。　　Two　days　ago　happiness
and　achievement　had　both　been　within　his　grasp。　　The　only　womanso　now
it　seemedhe　had　ever　really　wanted！　　What　had　become　of　her？　　What
obscure　and　passionate　impulse　had　led　her　suddenly　to　defy　and　desert
him；　to　cast　in　her　lot　with　these　insensate　aliens？　　A　hundred　times
during　the　restless；　inactive　hours　of　a　sleepless　night　this　question
had　intruded　itself　in　the　midst　of　his　scheming　to　break　the　strike；　as
he　reviewed；　word　by　word；　act　by　act；　that　almost　incomprehensible
revolt　of　hers　which　had　followed　so　swiftlya　final；　vindictive　blow　of
fateon　that　other　revolt　of　the　workers。　　At　moments　he　became
confused；　unable　to　separate　the　two。　　He　saw　her　fire　in　that　other。。。。
Her　sister；　she　had　said；　had　been　disgraced；　she　had　defied　him　to　marry
her　in　the　face　of　that　degradationand　this　suddenly　had　sickened　him。
He　had　let　her　go。　　What　a　fool　he　had　been　to　let　her　go！　　Had　she
herself　been！　　He　did　not　finish　this　thought。　　Throughout　the　long
night　he　had　known；　for　a　certainty；　that　this　woman　was　a　vital　part　of
him；　flame　of　his　flame。　　Had　he　never　seen　her　he　would　have　fought
these　strikers　to　their　knees；　but　now　the　force　of　this　incentive　was
doubled。　　He　would　never　yield　until　he　had　crushed　them；　until　he　had
reconquered　her。

He　was　approaching　one　of　the　groups　of　strikers；　and　unconsciously　he
slowed　his　steps。　　The　whites　of　his　eyes　reddened。　　The　great　coat　of
golden　fur　he　wore　gave　to　his　aspect　an　added　quality　of　formidableness。
There　were　some　who　scattered　as　he　drew　near；　and　of　the　less　timorous
spirits　that　remained　only　a　few　raised　dark；　sullen　glances　to　encounter
his；　which　was　unflinching；　passionately　contemptuous。　　Throughout　the
countless　generations　that　lay　behind　them　the　instinct　of　submission　had
played　its　dominant；　phylogenetic　role。　　He　was　the　Master。　　The　journey
across　the　seas　had　not　changed　that。　　A　few　shiverednot　alone　because
they　were　thinly　clad。　　He　walked　on；　slowly；　past　other　groups；　turned
the　corner　of　West　Street；　where　the　groups　were　more　numerous；　while　the
number　of　those　running　the　gantlet　had　increased。　　And　he　heard；　twice
or　thrice；　the　word　〃Scab！〃　cried　out　menacingly。　　His　eyes　grew　redder
still　as　he　spied　a　policeman　standing　idly　in　a　doorway。

〃Why　in　hell　don't　you　do　your　duty？〃　he　demanded。　　〃What　do　you　mean　by
letting　them　interfere　with　these　workers？〃

The　man　flinched。　　He　was　apologetic。　　〃So　long　as　they're　peaceable；　Mr。
Ditmarthose　are　my　orders。　　I　do　try　to　keep　'em　movin'。〃

〃Your　orders？　　You're　a　lot　of　damned　cowards；〃　Ditmar　replied；　and　went
on。　　There　were　mutterings　here；　herded　together；　these　slaves　were
bolder；　and　hunger　and　cold；　discouragement　at　not　being　able　to　stop　the
flow　toward　the　mills　were　having　their　effect。　　By　the　frozen　canal；　the
scene　of　the　onslaught　of　yesterday；　the　crowd　had　grown　comparatively
thick；　and　at　the　corner　of　the　lodginghouse　row　Ditmar　halted　a　moment；
unnoticed　save　by　a　few　who　nudged　one　another　and　murmured。　　He　gave
them　no　attention；　he　was　trying　to　form　an　estimate　of　the　effect　of　the
picketing　on　his　own　operatives。　　Some　came　with　timid　steps；　others；
mostly　women；　fairly　ran；　still　others　were　self…possessed；　almost
defiantand　such　he　marked。　　There　were　those　who；　when　the　picketers
held　them　by　the　sleeve；　broke　precipitately　from　their　annoyers；　and
those　who　hesitated；　listening　with　troubled　faces；　with　feelings　torn
between　dread　of　hunger　for　themselves　and　their　children　and　sympathy
with　the　revolt。　　A　small　number　joined　the　ranks　of　the　picketers。
Ditmar　towered　above　these　foreigners；　who　were　mostly　undersized：　a
student　of　human　nature　and　civilization；　free　from　industrial　complexes；
would　from　that　point　of　vantage　have　had　much　to　gather　from　the
expressions　coming　within　his　view；　but　to　Ditmar　humanity　was　a　means　to
an　end。　　Suddenly；　from　the　cupolas　above　the　battlement　of　the　mill；　the
bells　shattered　the　early　morning　air；　the　remnant　of　the　workers
hastened　across　the　canal　and　through　the　guarded　gates；　which　were
instantly　closed。　　Ditmar　was　left　alone　among　the　strikers。　　As　he　moved
toward　the　bridge　they　made　a　lane　for　him　to　pass；　one　or　two　he　thrust
out　of　his　way。　　But　there　were　mutterings；　and　from　the　sidewalk　he
heard　a　man　curse　him。

Perhaps　we　shall　understand　some　day　that　the　social　body；　also；　is
subject　to　the　operation　of　cause　and　effect。　　It　was　not　what　an
ingenuous　orthodoxy；　keeping　alive　the　fate　of　the　ancient　city　from
which　Lot　fled；　would　call　the　wrath　of　heaven　that　visited　Hampton；
although　a　sermon　on　these　lines　was　delivered　from　more　than　one　of　her
pulpits　on　the　following　Sunday。　　Let　us　surmise；　rather；　that　a　decrepit
social　system　in　a　moment　of　lowered　vitality　becomes　an　easy　prey　to
certain　diseases　which　respectable　communities　are　not　supposed　to　have。
The　germ　of　a　philosophy　evolved　in　decadent　Europe　flies　across　the　sea
to　prey　upon　a　youthful　and　vigorous　America；　lodging　as　host　wherever
industrial　strife　has　made　congenial　soil。　　In　four　and　twenty　hours
Hampton　had　〃caught〃　Syndicalism。　　All　day　Tuesday；　before　the　true
nature　of　the　affection　was　developed；　prominent　citizens　were　outraged
and　appalled　by　the　supineness　of　their　municipal　phagocytes。　　Property；
that　sacred　fabric　of　government；　had　been　attacked　and　destroyed；　law
had　been　defied；　and　yet　the　City　Hall；　the　sanctuary　of　American
tradition；　was　turned　over　to　the　alien　mob　for　a　continuous　series　of
mass　meetings。　　All　day　long　that　edifice；　hitherto　chastely　familiar
with　American　doctrine　alone；　with　patriotic　oratory；　with　perorations
that　dwelt　upon　the　wrongs　and　woes　of　Irelandpart　of　our　national
propagandaall　day　long　that　edifice　rang　with　strange；　exotic　speech；
sometimes　guttural；　often　musical；　but　always　impassioned；　weirdly
cadenced　and　intoned。　　From　the　raised　platform；　in　place　of　the　shrewd；
matter…of…fact　New　England　politician　alive　to　the　votegetting　powers
of　Fourth　of　July　patriotism；　in　place　of　the　vehement　but　fun…loving　son
of　Erin；　men　with　wild；　dark　faces；　with　burning　black　eyes　and　unkempt
hair；　unshaven；　flannel　skirtedmade　more　alien；　paradoxically；　by　their
conventional；　ready…made　American　clothesgave　tongue　to　the
inarticulate　aspirations　of　the　peasant　drudge　of　Europe。　　From　lands
long　steeped　in　blood　they　came；　from　low　countries　by　misty　northern
seas；　from　fair　and　ancient　plains　of　Lombardy；　from　Guelph　and
Ghibelline　hamlets　in　the　Apennines；　from　vine…covered　slopes　in　Sicily
and　Greece；　from　the　Balkans；　from　Caucasus　and　Carpathia；　from　the
mountains　of　Lebanon；　whose　cedars　lined　the　palaces　of　kings；　and　from
villages　beside　swollen　rivers　that　cross　the　dreary　steppes。　　Each
peasant　listened　to　a　recital　in　his　own　tonguethe　tongue　in　which　the
folklore；　the　cradle　sayings　of　his　race　had　been　preservedof　the
common　wrongs　of　all；　of　misery　still　present；　of　happiness　still
unachieved　in　this　land　of　liberty　and　opportunity　they　had　found　a
mockery；　to　appeals　to　endure　and　suffer　for　a　common　cause。　　But　who　was
to　weld　together　this　medley　of　races　and　traditions；　to　give　them　the
creed　for　which　their　passions　were　prepared；　to　lead　into　battle　these
ignorant　and　unskilled　from　whom　organized　labour　held　aloof？　　Even　as
dusk　was　falling；　even　as　the　Mayor；　the　Hon。　Michael　McGrath；　was　making
from　the　platform　an　eloquent　plea　for　order　and　peace；　promising　a
Committee　of　Arbitration　and　thinking　about　soldiers；　the　leader　an