impartially. To this end a separate organisation,
separate place in the House, separate Whips--they were ready, nay
clamorous, for them all. And they were equally determined on Harry
Wharton as a leader. They spoke of the _Clarion_ with enthusiasm, and
declared that its owner was already an independent power, and was,
moreover, as "straight" as he was sharp.

The contention and the praise lashed Wilkins into fury. After making one
or two visible efforts at a sarcastic self-control which came to
nothing, he broke out into a flood of invective which left the rest of
the room staring. Marcella found herself indignantly wondering who this
big man, with his fierce eyes, long, puffy cheeks, coarse black hair,
and North-country accent, might be. Why did he talk in this way, with
these epithets, this venom? It was intolerable!

Hallin roused himself from his fatigue to play the peace-maker. But some
of the things Wilkins had been saying had put up the backs of the two
workmen, and the talk flamed up unmanageably--Wilkins's dialect getting
more pronounced with each step of the argument.

"Well, if I'd ever ha' thowt that I war coomin' to Lunnon to put myself
and my party oonder the heel o' Muster Harry Wharton, I'd ha' stayed at
_home_, I tell tha," cried Wilkins, slapping his knee. "If it's to be
the People's party, why, in the name o' God, must yo put a yoong
ripstitch like yon at the head of it? a man who'll just mak _use_ of us
all, you an' me, and ivery man Jack of us, for his own advancement, an'
ull kick us down when he's done with us! Why shouldn't he? What is he?
Is he a man of _us_--bone of our bone? He's a _landlord_, and an
aristocrat, I tell tha! What have the likes of him ever been but thorns
in our side? When have the landlords ever gone with the people? Have
they not been the blight and the curse of the country for hun'erds of
years? And you're goin' to tell me that a man bred out o' _them_--living
on his rent and interest--grinding the faces of the poor, I'll be bound
if the truth were known, as all the rest of them do--is goin' to lead
_me_, an' those as'll act with me to the pullin' down of the landlords!
Why are we to go lickspittlin' to any man of his sort to do our work for
us? Let him go to his own class--I'm told Mr. Wharton is mighty fond of
countesses, and they of him!--or let him set up as the friend of the
working man just as he likes--I'm quite agreeable!--I shan't make any
bones about takin' his _