The Stars Look Down Read Online Free PDF Page B

Lovers
.
    Arthur let down the oblong varnished cover and seated himself with his head in his palms and elbows on his knees. He felt, suddenly, an extra pang of anxiety and stress. Overpowered by a desire for consolation, he shut his eyes tight. With that fervour which often took him, dear God, he prayed, make the strike end to-day, make all the men go back to work for my father, make them see their mistake, dear God, you know, dear God, how good my father is, I love him, dear God, and I love You too, make the men do right like he does and don’t let them strike any more, and let me hurry up and be with my father in the Neptune quick for Jesus’ sake, amen.

FOUR
    Richard Barras returned at five o’clock to find Armstrong and Hudspeth were waiting for him. He arrived, with cold unhurried precision, frowning slightly, bringing the stem pulse of his personality into the house, to find them sitting on two hall chairs, side by side, staring at the floor in silence. Aunt Carrie in a flutter of uncertainty had put them there. George Armstrong was, of course, the viewer of the Neptune and would have gone ordinarily to the smoking-room. But Hudspeth was only the underviewer who had once been merely the overman, and he had, moreover, been with the safety-men, had come straight out the pit with dirty boots, wet knickerbockers, stick and leather cap complete. Impossible to admit him to sully Richard’s room. Altogether a difficult situation for Aunt Carrie; she had compromised by leaving them in the
vestibule
.
    At the sight of the two men Richard’s expression did not change. He had expected them. But through the cold weight of his inflexibility a faint gleam momentarily irradiated his eye, then was instantly suppressed. Armstrong and Hudspeth rose. A short silence.
    “Well?” Richard asked.
    Armstrong nodded emotionally.
    “It’s done with, thank God.”
    Richard received the news without a sign, as though the faint break in Armstrong’s voice was repugnant to him. He remained erect, veiled within himself, apart. At length he stirred, made a gesture with his hand and led the way into the dining-room. He went to the sideboard, an enormous oak piece of Dutch origin carved in baroque taste with the heads of smiling children, and poured whisky into two glasses, then he pulled the bell, ordered tea upon a tray for himself. Ann brought it immediately.
    The three men drank standing—Hudspeth put his tot away neat at one stolid swallow, Armstrong took his with a lot of soda in quick, nervous gulps. He was a nervous man, George Armstrong, a man who seemed always to live upon his nerves. He worried a great deal, was upset by trifles, lost his temper easily with the men but got through a vast amount of work by the sheer nervous intensity of his application. A medium-sized man going bald on the top, with rather a drawn face and pouches under his eyes, he was, in spite of his irritability,quite popular in the town. He had a good baritone voice and sang at the Masonic concerts. He was married, with five children, felt his responsibilities acutely and was, in his soul, desperately afraid of losing his job. Now he excused his nervous hand with his short deprecatory laugh.
    “Before God I’m not sorry it’s over, Mr. Barras, the whole stupid business. It’s been a pretty rough time for all of us. I’d rather work a year double shift than go through these three months again.”
    Barras ignored all this. He said:
    “How did it end?”
    “They had a meeting at the Institute. Fenwick spoke but they wouldn’t listen to him. Next Gowlan, you know Charley Gowlan, the checkweigher, he got up and said there was nothing for it but to start. Then Heddon let loose on them. He’d come in special from Tynecastle. He didn’t mince his meat. Not on your life, Mr. Barras. Told them they’d no right to have come out without Union support. Said the Federation disowned the whole business. Called them a pack of confounded fools, only saving your