The Union was not wealthy.  The central hall was rented at Mr. Westlake’s expense; two or three branches were managing with difficulty to support regular places of assembly, such as could not being obliged as yet to content themselves with open-air lecturing.  In Islington the leaguers met in a room behind a coffee-shop, ordinarily used for festive purposes; benches were laid across the floor, and an estrade at the upper end exalted chairman and lecturer.  The walls were adorned with more or less striking advertisements of non-alcoholic beverages, and with a few prints from the illustrated papers.  The atmosphere was tobaccoey, and the coffee-shop itself, through which the visitors had to make their way, suggested to the nostrils that bloaters are the working man’s chosen delicacy at Sunday tea.  A table just within the door of the lecture-room exposed for sale sundry Socialist publications, the latest issue of the ‘Fiery Cross’ in particular.

Richard was wont to be among the earliest arrivals:  to-night he was full ten minutes behind the hour for which the lecture was advertised.  A group of friends were standing about the table near the door; they received him with a bustle which turned all eyes thitherwards.  He walked up the middle of the room to the platform.  As soon as he was well in the eye of the meeting, a single pair of hands—­Daniel Dabbs owned them—­gave the signal for uproar; feet made play on the boarding, and one or two of the more enthusiastic revolutionists fairly gave tongue.  Richard seated himself with grave countenance, and surveyed the assembly; from fifty to sixty people were present, among them three or four women, and the number continued to grow.  The chairman and one or two leading spirits had followed Mutimer to the place of distinction, where they talked with him.

Punctuality was not much regarded at these meetings; the lecture was announced for eight, but rarely began before half-past The present being an occasion of exceptional interest, twenty minutes past the hour saw the chairman rise for his prefatory remarks.  He was a lank man of jovial countenance and jerky enunciation.  There was no need, he observed, to introduce a friend and comrade so well known to them as the lecturer of the evening.  ’We’re always glad to hear him, and to-night, if I may be allowed to ’int as much, we’re particularly glad to hear him.  Our friend and comrade is going to talk to us about the Land.  It’s a question we can’t talk or think too much about, and Comrade Mutimer has thought about it as much and more than any of us, I think I may say.  I don’t know,’ the chairman added, with a sly look across the room, ’whether our friend’s got any new views on this subject of late.  I shouldn’t wonder if he had.’  Here sounded a roar of laughter, led off by Daniel Dabbs.  ’Hows’ever, be that as it may, we can answer for it as any views he may hold is the right views, and the honest views, and the views of a man as means to do a good deal more than talk about his convictions!’