was hummin'. First he went among the
carvers, talking Hitalian to 'em and making 'em laugh, though he was
in a precious bad humor hisself. By and by he come over to where me
and my mates was, and began chaffin' us, which we didn't mind it,
seeing he was 'eavy in the 'ead. He was as clear as a fog 'orn all
the same. But when he took to banging the tools on the blocks, I
sings out, ''Ands off!' and then he fetched me a clip. I was never
looking for nothing less than that he'd hit me. I was a smiling at
the hinstant."

"He must be drunker than usual."

"Hevidently, sir. I went down between two slabs as soft as you
please. When I got on my pins, I was for choking him a bit, but my
mates hauled us apart. That's the 'ole of it, sir. They'll tell you
the same within."

"Are you hurt, Denyven?"

"Only a bit of a scratch over the heye, sir,--and the nose," and
the man began mopping his brow tenderly. "I'd like to 'ave that
Hitalian for about ten minutes, some day when he's sober, over yonder
on the green."

"I'm afraid he would make the ten minutes seem long to you."

"Well, sir, I'd willingly let him try his 'and."

"How is it, Denyven," said Richard, "that you and sensible
workingmen like you, have permitted such a quarrelsome and
irresponsible fellow to become a leader in the Association? He's
secretary, or something, isn't he?"

"Well, sir, he writes an uncommonly clean fist, and then he's a
born horator. He's up to all the parli'mentary dodges. Must 'ave 'ad
no end of hexperience in them sort of things on the other side."

"No doubt,--and that accounts for him being over here."

"As for horganizing a meeting, sir"--

"I know. Torrini has a great deal of that kind of ability; perhaps
a trifle too much for his own good or anybody else's. There was never
any trouble to speak of among the trades in Stillwater till he and
two or three others came here with foreign grievances. These men get
three times the pay they ever received in their own land, and are
treated like human beings for the first time in their lives. But what
do they do? They squander a quarter of their week's wages at the
tavern,--no rich man could afford to put a fourth of his income into
drink,--and make windy speeches at the Union. I don't say all of
them, but too many of them. The other night, I understand, Torrini
compared Mr. Slocum to Nero,--Mr. Slocum, the fairest and gentlest
man that ever breathed! What rubbish!"

"It wasn't just that w