Chapter II. Royal Oak - Page 2

the muscles of his shoulders, and the form of his legs. Her reddish-brown eyes seemed to burn, and her nose, that had a subtle, beautiful Hebraic curve, seemed to arch itself. She made a little place for him by herself, as he returned. She carried her head thrown back, with dauntless self- sufficiency.

There were several colliers in the room, talking quietly. They were the superior type all, favoured by the landlady, who loved intellectual discussion. Opposite, by the fire, sat a little, greenish man--evidently an oriental.

"You're very quiet all at once, Doctor," said the landlady in her slow, laconic voice.

"Yes.--May I have another whiskey, please?" She rose at once, powerfully energetic.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. And she went to the bar.

"Well," said the little Hindu doctor, "and how are things going now, with the men?"

"The same as ever," said Aaron.

"Yes," said the stately voice of the landlady. "And I'm afraid they will always be the same as ever. When will they learn wisdom?"

"But what do you call wisdom?" asked Sherardy, the Hindu. He spoke with a little, childish lisp.

"What do I call wisdom?" repeated the landlady. "Why all acting together for the common good. That is wisdom in my idea."

"Yes, very well, that is so. But what do you call the common good?" replied the little doctor, with childish pertinence.

"Ay," said Aaron, with a laugh, "that's it." The miners were all stirring now, to take part in the discussion.

"What do I call the common good?" repeated the landlady. "That all people should study the welfare of other people, and not only their own."

"They are not to study their own welfare?" said the doctor.

"Ah, that I did not say," replied the landlady. "Let them study their own welfare, and that of others also."

"Well then," said the doctor, "what is the welfare of a collier?"

"The welfare of a collier," said the landlady, "is that he shall earn sufficient wages to keep himself and his family comfortable, to educate his children, and to educate himself; for that is what he wants, education."

"Ay, happen so," put in Brewitt, a big, fine, good-humoured collier. "Happen so, Mrs. Houseley. But what if you haven't got much education, to speak of?"

"You can always get it," she said patronizing.

"Nay--I'm blest if you can. It's no use tryin' to educate a man over forty--not by book-learning. That isn't saying he's a fool, neither."

"And what better is them that's got education?" put in another man. "What better is the manager, or th'