Strife. Galsworthy John

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СКАЧАТЬ [Rather ashamedly.] I think we ought to consider the men.

      [All but ANTHONY fidget in their seats.]

      SCANTLEBURY. [With a sigh.] We must n't think of our private feelings, young man. That'll never do.

      EDGAR. [Ironically.] I'm not thinking of our feelings. I'm thinking of the men's.

      WILDER. As to that – we're men of business.

      WANKLIN. That is the little trouble.

      EDGAR. There's no necessity for pushing things so far in the face of all this suffering – it's – it's cruel.

      [No one speaks, as though EDGAR had uncovered something whose existence no man prizing his self-respect could afford to recognise.]

      WANKLIN. [With an ironical smile.] I'm afraid we must n't base our policy on luxuries like sentiment.

      EDGAR. I detest this state of things.

      ANTHONY. We did n't seek the quarrel.

      EDGAR. I know that sir, but surely we've gone far enough.

      ANTHONY. No. [All look at one another.]

      WANKLIN. Luxuries apart, Chairman, we must look out what we're doing.

      ANTHONY. Give way to the men once and there'll be no end to it.

      WANKLIN. I quite agree, but —

      [ANTHONY Shakes his head]

      You make it a question of bedrock principle?

      [ANTHONY nods.]

      Luxuries again, Chairman! The shares are below par.

      WILDER. Yes, and they'll drop to a half when we pass the next dividend.

      SCANTLEBURY. [With alarm.] Come, come! Not so bad as that.

      WILDER. [Grimly.] You'll see! [Craning forward to catch ANTHONY'S speech.] I didn't catch —

      TENCH. [Hesitating.] The Chairman says, sir, "Fais que – que – devra."

      EDGAR. [Sharply.] My father says: "Do what we ought – and let things rip."

      WILDER. Tcha!

      SCANTLEBURY. [Throwing up his hands.] The Chairman's a Stoic – I always said the Chairman was a Stoic.

      WILDER. Much good that'll do us.

      WANKLIN. [Suavely.] Seriously, Chairman, are you going to let the ship sink under you, for the sake of – a principle?

      ANTHONY. She won't sink.

      SCANTLEBURY. [With alarm.] Not while I'm on the Board I hope.

      ANTHONY. [With a twinkle.] Better rat, Scantlebury.

      SCANTLEBURY. What a man!

      ANTHONY. I've always fought them; I've never been beaten yet.

      WANKLIN. We're with you in theory, Chairman. But we're not all made of cast-iron.

      ANTHONY. We've only to hold on.

      WILDER. [Rising and going to the fire.] And go to the devil as fast as we can!

      ANTHONY. Better go to the devil than give in!

      WILDER. [Fretfully.] That may suit you, sir, but it does n't suit me, or any one else I should think.

      [ANTHONY looks him in the face-a silence.]

      EDGAR. I don't see how we can get over it that to go on like this means starvation to the men's wives and families.

      [WILDER turns abruptly to the fire, and SCANTLEBURY puts out a hand to push the idea away.]

      WANKLIN. I'm afraid again that sounds a little sentimental.

      EDGAR. Men of business are excused from decency, you think?

      WILDER. Nobody's more sorry for the men than I am, but if they [lashing himself] choose to be such a pig-headed lot, it's nothing to do with us; we've quite enough on our hands to think of ourselves and the shareholders.

      EDGAR. [Irritably.] It won't kill the shareholders to miss a dividend or two; I don't see that that's reason enough for knuckling under.

      SCANTLEBURY. [With grave discomfort.] You talk very lightly of your dividends, young man; I don't know where we are.

      WILDER. There's only one sound way of looking at it. We can't go on ruining ourselves with this strike.

      ANTHONY. No caving in!

      SCANTLEBURY. [With a gesture of despair.] Look at him!

      [ANTHONY'S leaning back in his chair. They do look at him.]

      WILDER. [Returning to his seat.] Well, all I can say is, if that's the Chairman's view, I don't know what we've come down here for.

      ANTHONY. To tell the men that we've got nothing for them – [Grimly.] They won't believe it till they hear it spoken in plain English.

      WILDER. H'm! Shouldn't be a bit surprised if that brute Roberts had n't got us down here with the very same idea. I hate a man with a grievance.

      EDGAR. [Resentfully.] We didn't pay him enough for his discovery. I always said that at the time.

      WILDER. We paid him five hundred and a bonus of two hundred three years later. If that's not enough! What does he want, for goodness' sake?

      TENCH. [Complainingly.] Company made a hundred thousand out of his brains, and paid him seven hundred – that's the way he goes on, sir.

      WILDER. The man's a rank agitator! Look here, I hate the Unions. But now we've got Harness here let's get him to settle the whole thing.

      ANTHONY. No! [Again they look at him.]

      UNDERWOOD. Roberts won't let the men assent to that.

      SCANTLEBURY. Fanatic! Fanatic!

      WILDER. [Looking at ANTHONY.] And not the only one! [FROST enters from the hall.]

      FROST. [To ANTHONY.] Mr. Harness from the Union, waiting, sir. The men are here too, sir.

      [ANTHONY nods. UNDERWOOD goes to the door, returning with HARNESS, a pale, clean-shaven man with hollow cheeks, quick eyes, and lantern jaw – FROST has retired.]

      UNDERWOOD. [Pointing to TENCH'S chair.] Sit there next the Chairman, Harness, won't you?

      [At HARNESS'S appearance, the Board have drawn together, as it were, and turned a little to him, like cattle at a dog.]

      HARNESS. [With a sharp look round, and a bow.] Thanks! [He sits – his accent is slightly nasal.] Well, gentlemen, we're going to do business at last, I hope.

      WILDER. Depends on what you call business, Harness. Why don't you make the men come in?

      HARNESS. СКАЧАТЬ