GERALD.  No, I didn’t want anybody.

CLERK.  Oh, no, sir.  I see.  Er—­by the way, sir—­er—­I hope you don’t think this—­er—­bother about an increase—­this strike threat—­ started in the office?

GERALD.  Where did it start?

CLERK.  I should think it started—­where it usually starts, Mr. Barlow—­among a few loud-mouthed people who think they can do as they like with the men.  They’re only using the office men as a cry—­ They’ve no interest in us.  They want to show their power.—­That’s how it is, sir.

GERALD.  Oh, yes.

CLERK.  We’re powerless, if they like to make a cry out of us.

GERALD.  Quite.

CLERK.  We’re as much put out about it as anybody.

GERALD.  Of course.

CLERK.  Yes—­well—­good night, sir. (Clerks draw near—­there is a sound of loud young voices and bicycle bells.  Bicycles sweep past.)

CLERKS.  Good night, sir.—­Good night, sir.

GERALD.  Good night.—­They’re very bucked to see me sitting here with a woman—­a young lady as they’ll say.  I guess your name will be flying round to-morrow.  They stop partly to have a good look at you.  Do they know you, do you think?

ANABEL.  Sure.

CLERKS.  Mr. Breffitt’s just coming, sir.—­Good night, sir.—­Good night, sir. (Another bicycle passes.)

ANABEL.  The bicycles don’t see us.—­Isn’t it rather hateful to be a master?  The attitude of them all is so ugly.  I can quite see that it makes you rather a bully.

GERALD.  I suppose it does. (Figure of a large man approaches.)

BREFFITT.  Oh—­ah—­it’s Mr. Gerald!—­I couldn’t make out who it was.—­ Were you coming up to the office, sir?  Do you want me to go back with you?

GERALD.  No, thank you—­I just wanted a word with you about this agitation.  It’ll do just as well here.  It’s a pity it started—­ that the office should have set it going, Breffitt.

BREFFITT.  It’s none of the office’s doing, I think you’ll find, Mr. Gerald.  The office men did nothing but ask for a just advance—­at any rate, time and prices being what they are, I consider it a fair advance.  If the men took it up, it’s because they’ve got a set of loud-mouthed blatherers and agitators among them like Job Arthur Freer, who deserve to be hung—­and hanging they’d get, if I could have the judging of them.

GERALD.  Well—­it’s very unfortunate—­because we can’t give the clerks their increase now, you know.

BREFFITT.  Can’t you?—­can’t you?  I can’t see that it would be anything out of the way, if I say what I think.

GERALD.  No.  They won’t get any increase now.  It shouldn’t have been allowed to become a public cry with the colliers.  We can’t give in now.

BREFFITT.  Have the Board decided that?

GERALD.  They have—­on my advice.

BREFFITT.  Hm!—­then the men will come out.