d Brand, absently; he was, in truth, recalling
the various phrases and sentences in that letter of Ferdinand Lind.
"Dibs, sir--dibs," said the farmer-agitator, energetically. "You know
what makes the mare go. And you know these are not the best of times;
and some of the lads will be thinking they pay enough into their own
Union. That's what I want to know, Mr. Brand, before I can advise any
one. You need money; how do you get it? What's the damage on joining,
and after?"
Brand pulled himself together.
"Oh, money?" said he. "That need not trouble you. We exact nothing. How
could we ask people to buy a pig in a poke? There's not a working-man in
the country but would put us down as having invented an ingenious scheme
for living on other people's earnings. It is not money we want; it is
men."
"Yes, yes," said Molyneux, looking rather puzzled. "But when you've got
the machine, you want oil, eh? The basis of everything, sir, is dibs:
what can ye do without it?"
"We want money, certainly," Brand said. "But we do not touch a farthing
that is not volunteered. There are no compulsory subscriptions. We take
it that the more a man sees of what we are doing, and of what has to be
done, the more he will be willing to give according to his means; and so
far there has been no disappointment."
"H'm!" said Molyneux, doubtfully. "I reckon you won't get much from our
chaps."
"You don't know. It is wonderful what a touch of enthusiasm will do--and
emulation between the local centers. Besides, we are always having
accessions of richer folk, and these are expected to make up all
deficiencies."
"Ah!" said the other. "I see more daylight that way. Now you, Mr. Brand,
must have been a good fat prize for them, eh?"
The shrewd inquiring glance that accompanied this remark set George
Brand laughing.
"I see, Mr. Molyneux, you want to get at the 'dibs' of everything.
Well, I can't enlighten you any further until you join us: you have not
said whether you will or not."
"I will!" said the other, bringing his fist down on the table, though he
still spoke in a loud whisper. "I'm your man! In for a penny, in for a
pound!"
"I beg your pardon," said Brand, politely, "but you are in for neither,
unless you like. You may be in for a good deal of work, though. You must
bring us men, and you will be let off both the penny and the pound. Now,
could you run up with me to London to-night, and be admitted to-morrow,
and get to know som
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