ROUGH VOICE. Tork sense!
GIRL"S VOICE. He"s gittin" at you!
TALL YOUTH"S VOICE. Shiny skunk!
A NAVVY. [Suddenly shouldering forward] Look "ere, Mister! Don"t you come gaflin" to those who"ve got mates out there, or it"ll be the worse for you-you go "ome!
c.o.c.kNEY VOICE. And git your wife to put cottonwool in yer ears.
[A spurt of laughter.]
A FRIENDLY VOICE. [From the outskirts] Shame! there! Bravo, More!
Keep it up!
[A scuffle drowns this cry.]
MORE. [With vehemence] Stop that! Stop that! You---!
TALL YOUTH. Traitor!
AN ARTISAN. Who black-legged?
MIDDLE-AGED MAN. Ought to be shot-backin" his country"s enemies!
MORE. Those tribesmen are defending their homes.
TWO VOICES. Hear! hear!
[They are hustled into silence.]
TALL YOUTH. Wind-bag!
MORE. [With sudden pa.s.sion] Defending their homes! Not mobbing unarmed men!
[STEEL again pulls at his arm.]
ROUGH. Shut it, or we"ll do you in!
MORE. [Recovering his coolness] Ah! Do me in by all means! You"d deal such a blow at cowardly mobs as wouldn"t be forgotten in your time.
STEEL. For G.o.d"s sake, sir!
MORE. [Shaking off his touch] Well!
There is an ugly rush, checked by the fall of the foremost figures, thrown too suddenly against the bottom step. The crowd recoils.
There is a momentary lull, and MORE stares steadily down at them.
c.o.c.kNEY VOICE. Don"t "e speak well! What eloquence!
Two or three nutsh.e.l.ls and a piece of orange-peel strike MORE across the face. He takes no notice.
ROUGH VOICE. That"s it! Give "im some encouragement.
The jeering laughter is changed to anger by the contemptuous smile on MORE"S face.
A TALL YOUTH. Traitor!
A VOICE. Don"t stand there like a stuck pig.
A ROUGH. Let"s "ave "im dahn off that!
Under cover of the applause that greets this, he strikes MORE across the legs with a belt. STEEL starts forward. MORE, flinging out his arm, turns him back, and resumes his tranquil staring at the crowd, in whom the sense of being foiled by this silence is fast turning to rage.
THE CROWD. Speak up, or get down! Get off! Get away, there--or we"ll make you! Go on!
[MORE remains immovable.]
A YOUTH. [In a lull of disconcertion] I"ll make "im speak! See!
He darts forward and spits, defiling MORES hand. MORE jerks it up as if it had been stung, then stands as still as ever. A spurt of laughter dies into a shiver of repugnance at the action. The shame is fanned again to fury by the sight of MORES scornful face.
TALL YOUTH. [Out of murmuring] Shift! or you"ll get it!
A VOICE. Enough of your ugly mug!
A ROUGH. Give "im one!
Two flung stones strike MORE. He staggers and nearly falls, then rights himself.
A GIRL"S VOICE. Shame!
FRIENDLY VOICE. Bravo, More! Stick to it!
A ROUGH. Give "im another!
A VOICE. No!
A GIRL"S VOICE. Let "im alone! Come on, Billy, this ain"t no fun!
Still looking up at MORE, the whole crowd falls into an uneasy silence, broken only by the shuffling of feet. Then the BIG NAVVY in the front rank turns and elbows his way out to the edge of the crowd.
THE NAVVY. Let "im be!
With half-sullen and half-shamefaced acquiescence the crowd breaks up and drifts back whence it came, till the alley is nearly empty.
MORE. [As if coming to, out of a trance-wiping his hand and dusting his coat] Well, Steel!