said Field, "and would divert the
minds of the people from the Five Points by allotting them gardens and
giving them baths."

"We will have no more gardens in England; everything shall be open,"
said the Liberator, "and baths shall only be used to drown the enemies
of the People. I was always against washing; it takes the marrow out of
a man."

"Here we are," said Field, as the roofs and bowers of the village, the
spire and the spreading factory, broke upon them. "Every door and every
window closed! The settlement is deserted. Some one has been before us
and apprised them of our arrival."

"Will they pour water on me?" said the Bishop. "It must be a stream
indeed that shall put out the blaze that I am going to light. What shall
we do first? Halt there, you men," said the Liberator looking back with
that scowl which his apprentices never could forget. "Will you halt or
won't you? or must I be among you?"

There was a tremulous shuffling and then a comparative silence.

The women and children of the village had been gathered into the factory
yard, of which the great gates were closed.

"What shall we burn first?" asked the Bishop.

"We may as well parley with them a little," said Field; "perhaps we may
contrive to gain admission and then we can sack the whole affair, and
let the people burn the machinery. It will be a great moral lesson."

"As long as there is burning," said the Bishop, "I don't care what
lessons you teach them. I leave them to you; but I will have fire to put
out that water."

"I'll advance," said Field, and so saying he went forward and rang at
the gate; the Bishop, on his mule, with a dozen Hell-cats accompanying
him; the great body of the people about twenty yards withdrawn.

"Who rings?" asked a loud voice.

"One who by the order of the Liberator wishes to enter and see whether
his commands for a complete cessation of labour have been complied with
in this establishment."

"Very good," said the Bishop.

"There is no hand at work here," said the voice; "and you may take my
word for it."

"Your word be hanged," said the Bishop. "I want to know--"

"Hush, hush!" said Field, and then in a louder voice he said, "It may be
so, but as our messengers this morning were not permitted to enter and
were treated with great indignity--"

"That's it," said the Bishop.

"With great indignity," continued Field, "we must have ocular experience
of the state of affairs, and I beg and recommend you