Strife [31]
HARNESS enters he retires.]
[HARNESS has a piece of paper in his hand, he bows to the Directors, nods towards the men, and takes his stand behind the little table in the very centre of the room.]
HARNESS. Good evening, gentlemen.
[TENCH, with the paper he has been writing, joins him, they speak together in low tones.]
WILDER. We've been waiting for you, Harness. Hope we shall come to some----
FROST. [Entering from the hall.] Roberts!
[He goes.]
[ROBERTS comes hastily in, and stands staring at ANTHONY. His face is drawn and old.]
ROBERTS. Mr. Anthony, I am afraid I am a little late, I would have been here in time but for something that--has happened. [To the men.] Has anything been said?
THOMAS. No! But, man, what made ye come?
ROBERTS. Ye told us this morning, gentlemen, to go away and reconsider our position. We have reconsidered it; we are here to bring you the men's answer. [To ANTHONY.] Go ye back to London. We have nothing for you. By no jot or tittle do we abate our demands, nor will we until the whole of those demands are yielded.
[ANTHONY looks at him but does not speak. There is a movement amongst the men as though they were bewildered.]
HARNESS. Roberts!
ROBERTS. [Glancing fiercely at him, and back to ANTHONY.] Is that clear enough for ye? Is it short enough and to the point? Ye made a mistake to think that we would come to heel. Ye may break the body, but ye cannot break the spirit. Get back to London, the men have nothing for ye?
[Pausing uneasily he takes a step towards the unmoving ANTHONY.]
EDGAR. We're all sorry for you, Roberts, but----
ROBERTS. Keep your sorrow, young man. Let your father speak!
HARNESS. [With the sheet of paper in his hand, speaking from behind the little table.] Roberts!
ROBERT. [TO ANTHONY, with passionate intensity.] Why don't ye answer?
HARNESS. Roberts!
ROBERTS. [Turning sharply.] What is it?
HARNESS. [Gravely.] You're talking without the book; things have travelled past you.
[He makes a sign to TENCH, who beckons the Directors. They quickly sign his copy of the terms.]
Look at this, man! [Holding up his sheet of paper.] "Demands conceded, with the exception of those relating to the engineers and furnace-men. Double wages for Saturday's overtime. Night-shifts as they are." These terms have been agreed. The men go back to work again to-morrow. The strike is at an end.
ROBERTS. [Reading the paper, and turning on the men. They shrink back from him, all but ROUS, who stands his ground. With deadly stillness.] Ye have gone back on me? I stood by ye to the death; ye waited for that to throw me over!
[The men answer, all speaking together.]
ROUS. It's a lie!
THOMAS. Ye were past endurance, man.
GREEN. If ye'd listen to me!
BULGIN. (Under his breath.) Hold your jaw!
ROBERTS. Ye waited for that!
HARNESS. [Taking the Director's copy of the terms, and handing his own to TENCH.] That's enough, men. You had better go.
[The men shuffle slowly, awkwardly away.]
WILDER. [In a low, nervous voice.] There's nothing to stay for now, I suppose. [He follows to the door.] I shall have a try for that train! Coming, Scantlebury?
SCANTLEBURY. [Following with WANKLIN.] Yes, yes; wait for me. [He stops as ROBERTS speaks.]
ROBERTS. [To ANTHONY.] But ye have not signed them terms! They can't make terms without their Chairman! Ye would never sign them terms! [ANTHONY looks at him without speaking. Don't tell me ye have! for the love o' God! [With passionate appeal.] I reckoned on ye!
HARNESS. [Holding out the Director's copy of the teems.] The Board has signed!
[ROBERTS looks dully at the signatures--dashes the paper from him, and covers up his eyes.]
SCANTLEBURY. [Behind his hand to TENCH.] Look after the Chairman! He's not well; he's not well--he had no lunch. If there's any fund started for the women and children, put me down for--for twenty
[HARNESS has a piece of paper in his hand, he bows to the Directors, nods towards the men, and takes his stand behind the little table in the very centre of the room.]
HARNESS. Good evening, gentlemen.
[TENCH, with the paper he has been writing, joins him, they speak together in low tones.]
WILDER. We've been waiting for you, Harness. Hope we shall come to some----
FROST. [Entering from the hall.] Roberts!
[He goes.]
[ROBERTS comes hastily in, and stands staring at ANTHONY. His face is drawn and old.]
ROBERTS. Mr. Anthony, I am afraid I am a little late, I would have been here in time but for something that--has happened. [To the men.] Has anything been said?
THOMAS. No! But, man, what made ye come?
ROBERTS. Ye told us this morning, gentlemen, to go away and reconsider our position. We have reconsidered it; we are here to bring you the men's answer. [To ANTHONY.] Go ye back to London. We have nothing for you. By no jot or tittle do we abate our demands, nor will we until the whole of those demands are yielded.
[ANTHONY looks at him but does not speak. There is a movement amongst the men as though they were bewildered.]
HARNESS. Roberts!
ROBERTS. [Glancing fiercely at him, and back to ANTHONY.] Is that clear enough for ye? Is it short enough and to the point? Ye made a mistake to think that we would come to heel. Ye may break the body, but ye cannot break the spirit. Get back to London, the men have nothing for ye?
[Pausing uneasily he takes a step towards the unmoving ANTHONY.]
EDGAR. We're all sorry for you, Roberts, but----
ROBERTS. Keep your sorrow, young man. Let your father speak!
HARNESS. [With the sheet of paper in his hand, speaking from behind the little table.] Roberts!
ROBERT. [TO ANTHONY, with passionate intensity.] Why don't ye answer?
HARNESS. Roberts!
ROBERTS. [Turning sharply.] What is it?
HARNESS. [Gravely.] You're talking without the book; things have travelled past you.
[He makes a sign to TENCH, who beckons the Directors. They quickly sign his copy of the terms.]
Look at this, man! [Holding up his sheet of paper.] "Demands conceded, with the exception of those relating to the engineers and furnace-men. Double wages for Saturday's overtime. Night-shifts as they are." These terms have been agreed. The men go back to work again to-morrow. The strike is at an end.
ROBERTS. [Reading the paper, and turning on the men. They shrink back from him, all but ROUS, who stands his ground. With deadly stillness.] Ye have gone back on me? I stood by ye to the death; ye waited for that to throw me over!
[The men answer, all speaking together.]
ROUS. It's a lie!
THOMAS. Ye were past endurance, man.
GREEN. If ye'd listen to me!
BULGIN. (Under his breath.) Hold your jaw!
ROBERTS. Ye waited for that!
HARNESS. [Taking the Director's copy of the terms, and handing his own to TENCH.] That's enough, men. You had better go.
[The men shuffle slowly, awkwardly away.]
WILDER. [In a low, nervous voice.] There's nothing to stay for now, I suppose. [He follows to the door.] I shall have a try for that train! Coming, Scantlebury?
SCANTLEBURY. [Following with WANKLIN.] Yes, yes; wait for me. [He stops as ROBERTS speaks.]
ROBERTS. [To ANTHONY.] But ye have not signed them terms! They can't make terms without their Chairman! Ye would never sign them terms! [ANTHONY looks at him without speaking. Don't tell me ye have! for the love o' God! [With passionate appeal.] I reckoned on ye!
HARNESS. [Holding out the Director's copy of the teems.] The Board has signed!
[ROBERTS looks dully at the signatures--dashes the paper from him, and covers up his eyes.]
SCANTLEBURY. [Behind his hand to TENCH.] Look after the Chairman! He's not well; he's not well--he had no lunch. If there's any fund started for the women and children, put me down for--for twenty