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Propraiet'r…x　5　pr。　G。〃　The　people　began　to　boo

and　shout　at　this；　a　number　of　hard　breathing；　

wildeyed　men　came　running　past；　clawing　with　hooked

fingers　at　the　air。　There　was　a　furious　crush　about　a

little　doorway。



Asano　did　a　brief　calculation。　〃Seventeen　per　cent

per　annum　is　their　annuity　on　you。　They　would　not

pay　so　much　per　cent　if　they　could　see　you　now；　Sire。

But　they　do　not　know。　Your　own　annuities　used　to

be　a　very　safe　investment；　but　now　you　are　sheer

gambling；　of　course。　This　is　probably　a　desperate

bid。　I　doubt　if　people　will　get　their　money。〃



The　crowd　of　would…be　annuitants　grew　so　thick

about　them　that　for　some　time　they　could　move　neither

forward　no　backward。　Graham　noticed　what　appeared

to　him　to　be　a　high　proportion　of　women　among　the

speculators；　and　was　reminded　again　of　the　economical

independence　of　their　sex。　They　seemed　remarkably

well　able　to　take　care　of　themselves　in　the　crowd；

using　their　elbows　with　particular　skill；　as　he　learnt　to

his　cost。　One　curly…headed　person　caught　in　the

pressure　for　a　space；　looked　steadfastly　at　him　several

times；　almost　as　if　she　recognized　him；　and　then；

edging　deliberately　towards　him；　touched　his　hand

with　her　arm　in　a　scarcely　accidental　manner；　and

made　it　plain　by　a　look　as　ancient　as　Chaldea　that　he

had　found　favour　in　her　eyes。　And　then　a　lank；　grey…

bearded　man；　perspiring　copiously　in　a　noble　passion

of　self…help；　blind　to　all　earthly　things　save　that　glaring；

bait；　thrust　between　them　in　a　cataclysmal　rush　towards

that　alluring　〃　x　5　pr。　G。〃



〃I　want　to　get　out　of　this；〃　said　Graham　to　Asano。

〃This　is　not　what　I　came　to　see。　Show　me　the

workers。　I　want　to　see　the　people　in　blue。　These

parasitic　lunatics〃



He　found　himself　wedged　in　a　struggling　mass　c

people；　and　this　hopeful　sentence　went　unfinished。



CHAPTER　XXI



THE　UNDER　SIDE



From　the　Business　Quarter　they　presently　passed

by　the　running　ways　into　a　remote　quarter　of　the　city；

where　the　bulk　of　the　manufactures　was　done。　On

their　way　the　platforms　crossed　the　Thames　twice；　and

passed　in　a　broad　viaduct　across　one　of　the　great　roads

that　entered　the　city　from　the　North。　In　both　cases

his　impression　was　swift　and　in　both　very　vivid。　The

river　was　a　broad　wrinkled　glitter　of　black　sea　water；

overarched　by　buildings；　and　vanishing　either　way　into

a　blackness　starred　with　receding　lights。　A　string　of

black　barges　passed　seaward；　manned　by　blue…clad

men。　The　road　was　a　long　and　very　broad　and　high

tunnel；　along　which　big…wheeled　machines　drove

noiselessly　and　swiftly。　Here；　too；　the　distinctive　blue

of　the　Labour　Company　was　in　abundance。　The

smoothness　of　the　double　tracks；　the　largeness　and　the

lightness　of　the　big　pneumatic　wheels　in　proportion　to

the　vehicular　body；　struck　Graham　most　vividly。　One

lank　and　very　high　carriage　with　longitudinal　metallic

rods　hung　with　the　dripping　carcasses　of　many　

hundred　sheep　arrested　his　attention　unduly。　Abruptly

the　edge　of　the　archway　cut　and　blotted　out　the

picture。



Presently　they　left　the　way　and　descended　by　a　lift

and　traversed　a　passage　that　sloped　downward；　and

so　came　to　a　descending　lift　again。　The　appearance

of　things　changed。　Even　the　pretence　of　architectural　

ornament　disappeared；　the　lights　diminished　in

number　and　size；　the　architecture　became　more　and

more　massive　in　proportion　to　the　spaces　as　the　

factory　quarters　were　reached。　And　in　the　dusty　biscuit…

making　place　of　the　potters；　among　the　felspar　mills

in　the　furnace　rooms　of　the　metal　workers；　among　the

incandescent　lakes　of　crude　Eadhamite；　the　blue　

canvas　clothing　was　on　man；　woman　and　child。



Many　of　these　great　and　dusty　galleries　were　silent

avenues　of　machinery；　endless　raked　out　ashen　furnaces　

testified　to　the　revolutionary　dislocation；　but

wherever　there　was　work　it　was　being　done　by　slow…

moving　workers　in　blue　canvas。　The　only　people　not

in　blue　canvas　were　the　overlookers　of　the　work…places

and　the　orange…clad　Labour　Police。　And　fresh　from

the　flushed　faces　of　the　dancing　halls；　the　voluntary

vigours　of　the　business　quarter；　Graham　could　note

the　pinched　faces；　the　feeble　muscles；　and　weary　eyes

of　many　of　the　latter…day　workers。　Such　as　he　saw　at

work　were　noticeably　inferior　in　physique　to　the　few

gaily　dressed　managers　and　forewomen　who　were

directing　their　labours。　The　burly　labourers　of　the

Victorian　times　had　followed　the　dray　horse　and　all

such　living　force　producers；　to　extinction；　the　place　of

his　costly　muscles　was　taken　by　some　dexterous

machine。　The　latter…day　labourer；　male　as　well　as

female；　was　essentially　a　machine…minder　and　feeder；

a　servant　and　attendant；　or　an　artist　under　direction。



The　women；　in　comparison　with　those　Graham

remembered；　were　as　a　class　distinctly　plain　and　flat…

chested。　Two　hundred　years　of　emancipation　from

the　moral　restraints　of　Puritanical　religion；　two　

hundred　years　of　city　life；　had　done　their　work　in　

eliminating　the　strain　of　feminine　beauty　and　vigour　from

the　blue　canvas　myriads。　To　be　brilliant　physically

or　mentally；　to　be　in　any　way　attractive　or　exceptional；

had　been　and　was　still　a　certain　way　of　emancipation

to　the　drudge；　a　line　of　escape　to　the　Pleasure　City

and　its　splendours　and　delights；　and　at　last　to　the

Euthanasy　and　peace。　To　be　steadfast　against　such

inducements　was　scarcely　to　be　expected　of　meanly

nourished　souls。　In　the　young　cities　of　Graham's

former　life；　the　newly　aggregated　labouring　mass　had

been　a　diverse　multitude；　still　stirred　by　the　tradition

of　personal　honour　and　a　high　morality；　now　it　was

differentiating　into　a　distinct　class；　with　a　moral　and

physical　difference　of　its　owneven　with　a　dialect　of

its　own。



They　penetrated　downward；　ever　downward；　towards

the　working　places。　Presently　they　passed　underneath

one　of　the　streets　of　the　moving　ways；　and　saw　its　

platforms　running　on　their　rails　far　overhead；　and　chinks

of　white　lights　between　the　transverse　slits。　The

factories　that　were　not　working　were　sparsely　lighted；

to　Graham　they　and　their　shrouded　aisles　of　giant

machines　seemed　plunged　in　gloom；　and　even　where

work　was　going　on　the　illumination　was　far　less

brilliant　than　upon　the　public　ways。



Beyond　the　blazing　lakes　of　Eadhamite　he　came　to

the　warren　of　the　jewellers；　and；　with　some　difficulty

and　by　using　his　signature；　obtained　admission　to

these　galleries。　They　were　high　and　dark；　and　rather

cold。　In　the　first　a　few　men　were　making　ornaments

of　gold　filigree；　each　man　at　a　little　bench　by　himself；

and　with　a　little　shaded　light。　The　long　vista　of　light

patches；　with　the　nimble　fingers　brightly　lit　and

moving　among　the　gleaming　yellow　coils；　and　the

intent　face　like　the　face　of　a　ghost；　in　each　shadow

had　the　oddest　effect。



The　work　was　beautifully　executed；　but　without　any

strength　of　modelling　or　drawing；　for　the　most　part

intricate　grotesques　or　the　ringing　of　the　changes　on

a　geometrical　motif。　These　workers　wore　a　peculiar

white　uniform　without　pockets　or　sleeves。　They

assumed　this　on　coming　to　work；　but　at　night　they

were　stripped　and　examined　before　they　left　the

premises　of　the　Company。　In　spite　of　every　precaution；　

the　Labour　policeman　told　them　in　a　depressed

tone；　the　Company　was　not　infrequently　robbed。



Beyond　was　a　gallery　of　women　busied　in　cutting

and　setting　slabs　of　artificial　ruby；　and　next　these　were

men　and　women　busied　together　upon　the　slabs　of

copper　net　that　formed　the　basis　of　cloisonne　tiles。

Many　of　these　workers　had　lips　and　nostrils　a　livid

white；　due　to　a　disease　caused　by　a　peculiar　purple

enamel　that　chanced　to　be　much　in　fashion。　Asano

apologised　to　Graham　for　the　offence　of　their　faces；　but

excused　himself　on　the　score　of　the　convenience　of　this

route。　〃This　is　what　I　wanted　to　see；〃　said　Graham；

〃this　is　what　I　wanted　to　see；〃　trying　to　avoid　a　start

at　a　particularly　striking　disfigurement　that　suddenly

stared　him　in　the　face。



〃She　might　have　done　better　with　herself　than

that；〃　said　Asano。



Graham　made　some　indignant　comments。



〃But；　Sire；　we　simply　could　not　stand　that　stuff

without　the　purple；〃　said　Asano。　〃In　your　days　

people　could　stand　such　crudities；　they　were　nearer　the

barbaric　by　two　hundred　years。〃



They　continued　along　one　of　the　lower　galleries　of

this　cloisonne　factory；　and　came　to　a　little　bridge　that

spanned　a　vault。　Looking　over　the　parapet；　Graham

saw　that　beneath　was　a　wharf　under　yet　more　tremendous　

archings　than　any　he　had　seen。　Three

barges；　smothered　in　floury　dust；　were　being　unloaded

of　their　cargoes　of　powdered　felspar　by　a　multitude

of　coughing　men；　each　guiding　a　little　truck；　the　dust

filled　the　place　with　a　choking　mist；　and　turned　the

electric　glare　yellow。　The　vague　shadows　of　these

workers　gesticulated　about　their　feet；　and　rushed　to

and　fro　against　a　long　stretch　of　white…washed　wall。

Every　now　and　then　one　would　stop　to　cough。



A　shadowy；　huge　mass　of　masonry　rising　out　of　the

inky　water；　brought　to　Graham's　mind　the　thought　of

the　multitude　of　ways　and　galleries　and　lifts；　that　rose

floor　above　floor　overhead　between　him　and　the　sky。

The　men　worked　in　silence　under　the　supervision　of

two　of　the　Labour　Police；　their　feet　made　a　hollow

thunder　on　the　planks　along　which　they　went　to　and

fro。　And　as　he　looked　at　this　scene；　some　hidden

voice　in　the　darkness　began　to　sing。



〃Stop　that！〃　shouted　one　of　the　policemen；　but　the

order　was　disobeyed；　and　first　one　and　then　all　the

white…stained　men　who　were　working　there　had　taken

up　the　beating　refrain；　singing　it　defiantly；　the　Song

of　the　Revolt。　The　feet　upon　the　planks　thundered

now　to　the　rhythm　of　the　song；　tramp；　tramp；　tramp。

The　policeman　who　had　shouted　glanced　at　his　fellow；

and　Graham　saw　him　shrug　his　shoulders。　He　made

no　further　effort