ENID.No.I don't want to--to offend them; they're so touchy.
FROST.Yes, M'm.[Pause.] Excuse me, Mr.Anthony's 'ad nothing to eat all day.
ENID.I know Frost.
FROST.Nothin' but two whiskies and sodas, M'm.
ENID.Oh! you oughtn't to have let him have those.
FROST.[Gravely.] Mr.Anthony is a little difficult, M'm.It's not as if he were a younger man, an' knew what was good for 'im; he will have his own way.
ENID.I suppose we all want that.
FROST.Yes, M'm.[Quietly.] Excuse me speakin' about the strike.
I'm sure if the other gentlemen were to give up to Mr.Anthony, and quietly let the men 'ave what they want, afterwards, that'd be the best way.I find that very useful with him at times, M'm.
[ENID shakes hey head.]
If he's crossed, it makes him violent.[with an air of discovery], and I've noticed in my own case, when I'm violent I'm always sorry for it afterwards.
ENID.[With a smile.] Are you ever violent, Frost?
FROST.Yes, M'm; oh! sometimes very violent.
ENID.I've never seen you.
FROST.[Impersonally.] No, M'm; that is so.
[ENID fidgets towards the back of the door.]
[With feeling.] Bein' with Mr.Anthony, as you know, M'm, ever since I was fifteen, it worries me to see him crossed like this at his age.
I've taken the liberty to speak to Mr.Wanklin [dropping his voice]--seems to be the most sensible of the gentlemen--but 'e said to me:
"That's all very well, Frost, but this strike's a very serious thing," 'e said."Serious for all parties, no doubt," I said, "but yumour 'im, sir," I said, "yumour 'im.It's like this, if a man comes to a stone wall, 'e does n't drive 'is 'ead against it, 'e gets over it." "Yes," 'e said, "you'd better tell your master that."[FROST looks at his nails.] That's where it is, M'm.I said to Mr.
Anthony this morning: "Is it worth it, sir?" "Damn it," he said to me, "Frost! Mind your own business, or take a month's notice!" Beg pardon, M'm, for using such a word.
ENID.[Moving to the double-doors, and listening.] Do you know that man Roberts, Frost?
FROST.Yes, M'm; that's to say, not to speak to.But to look at 'im you can tell what he's like.
ENID.[Stopping.] Yes?
FROST.He's not one of these 'ere ordinary 'armless Socialists.
'E's violent; got a fire inside 'im.What I call "personal." A man may 'ave what opinions 'e likes, so long as 'e 's not personal; when 'e 's that 'e 's not safe.
ENID.I think that's what my father feels about Roberts.
FROST.No doubt, M'm, Mr.Anthony has a feeling against him.
[ENID glances at him sharply, but finding him in perfect earnest, stands biting her lips, and looking at the double-doors.]
It 's, a regular right down struggle between the two.I've no patience with this Roberts, from what I 'ear he's just an ordinary workin' man like the rest of 'em.If he did invent a thing he's no worse off than 'undreds of others.My brother invented a new kind o'
dumb-waiter--nobody gave him anything for it, an' there it is, bein'
used all over the place.
[ENID moves closer to the double-doors.]
There's a kind o' man that never forgives the world, because 'e wasn't born a gentleman.What I say is--no man that's a gentleman looks down on another because 'e 'appens to be a class or two above 'im, no more than if 'e 'appens to be a class or two below.
ENID.[With slight impatience.] Yes, I know, Frost, of course.
Will you please go in and ask if they'll have some tea; say I sent you.
FROST.Yes, M'm.
[He opens the doors gently and goes in.There is a momentary sound of earnest, gather angry talk.]
WILDER.I don't agree with you.
WANKLIN.We've had this over a dozen times.
EDGAR.[Impatiently.] Well, what's the proposition?
SCANTLEBURY.Yes, what does your father say? Tea? Not for me, not for me!
WANKLIN.What I understand the Chairman to say is this----[FROST re-enters closing the door behind him.]
ENID.[Moving from the door.] Won't they have any tea, Frost?
[She goes to the little table, and remains motionless, looking at the baby's frock.]
[A parlourmaid enters from the hall.]
PARLOURMAID.A Miss Thomas, M'm ENID.[Raising her head.] Thomas? What Miss Thomas--d' you mean a----?
PARLOURMAID.Yes, M'm.
ENID.[Blankly.] Oh! Where is she?
PARLOURMAID.In the porch.
ENID.I don't want---- [She hesitates.]
FROST.Shall I dispose of her, M'm?
ENID.I 'll come out.No, show her in here, Ellen.
[The PARLOUR MAID and FROST go out.ENID pursing her lips, sits at the little table, taking up the baby's frock.The PARLOURMAID ushers in MADGE THOMAS and goes out; MADGE stands by the door.]
ENID.Come in.What is it.What have you come for, please?
MADGE.Brought a message from Mrs.Roberts.
ENID.A message? Yes.
MADGE.She asks you to look after her mother.
ENID.I don't understand.
MADGE.[Sullenly.] That's the message.
ENID.But--what--why?
MADGE.Annie Roberts is dead.
[There is a silence.]
ENID.[Horrified.] But it's only a little more than an hour since Isaw her.
MADGE.Of cold and hunger.
ENID.[Rising.] Oh! that's not true! the poor thing's heart----What makes you look at me like that? I tried to help her.
MADGE.[With suppressed savagery.] I thought you'd like to know.
ENID.[Passionately.] It's so unjust! Can't you see that I want to help you all?
MADGE.I never harmed any one that had n't harmed me first.
ENID.[Coldly.] What harm have I done you? Why do you speak to me like that?
MADGE.[With the bitterest intensity.] You come out of your comfort to spy on us! A week of hunger, that's what you want!
ENID.[Standing her ground.] Don't talk nonsense!
MADGE.I saw her die; her hands were blue with the cold.
ENID.[With a movement of grief.] Oh! why wouldn't she let me help her? It's such senseless pride!
MADGE.Pride's better than nothing to keep your body warm.
ENID.[Passionately.] I won't talk to you! How can you tell what Ifeel? It's not my fault that I was born better off than you.
MADGE.We don't want your money.
ENID.You don't understand, and you don't want to; please to go away!
