e'd grown
out of--seems I was mistaken.

ANTHONY. It's the tone the men use. Remains to be seen which can
hold out longest--they without us, or we without them.

HARNESS. As business men, I wonder you're not ashamed of this waste
of force, gentlemen. You know what it'll all end in.

ANTHONY. What?

HARNESS. Compromise--it always does.

SCANTLEBURY. Can't you persuade the men that their interests are the
same as ours?

HARNESS. [Turning, ironically.] I could persuade them of that, sir,
if they were.

WILDER. Come, Harness, you're a clever man, you don't believe all
the Socialistic claptrap that's talked nowadays. There 's no real
difference between their interests and ours.

HARNESS. There's just one very simple question I'd like to put to
you. Will you pay your men one penny more than they force you to pay
them?

[WILDER is silent.]

WANKLIN. [Chiming in.] I humbly thought that not to pay more than
was necessary was the A B C of commerce.

HARNESS. [With irony.] Yes, that seems to be the A B C of commerce,
sir; and the A B C of commerce is between your interests and the
men's.

SCANTLEBURY. [Whispering.] We ought to arrange something.

HARNESS. [Drily.] Am I to understand then, gentlemen, that your
Board is going to make no concessions?

[WANKLIN and WILDER bend forward as if to speak, but stop.]

ANTHONY. [Nodding.] None.

[WANKLIN and WILDER again bend forward, and SCANTLEBURY gives an
unexpected grunt.]

HARNESS. You were about to say something, I believe?

[But SCANTLEBURY says nothing.]

EDGAR. [Looking up suddenly.] We're sorry for the state of the men.

HARNESS. [Icily.] The men have no use for your pity, sir. What
they want is justice.

ANTHONY. Then let them be just.

HARNESS. For that word "just" read "humble," Mr. Anthony. Why
should they be humble? Barring the accident of money, are n't they
as good men as you?

ANTHONY. Cant!

HARNESS. Well, I've been five years in America. It colours a man's
notions.

SCANTLEBURY. [Suddenly, as though avenging his uncompleted grunt.]
Let's have the men in and hear what they've got to say!

[ANTHONY nods, and UNDERWOOD goes out by the single door.]

HARNESS. [Drily.] As I'm to have an interview with them this
afternoon, gentlemen, I 'll ask you to postpone your final decision
till that's over.

[Again ANTHONY nods, and taking up his glass drinks.]

[UNDERW