With that he doffed his hat, and held it out as a begging-box, a brazen grin at the same time crossing his countenance.

‘If I gave you sixpence, you would drink it.’

Barraclough uplifted the palms of his hands and the whites of his eyes, evincing in the gesture a mere burlesque of hypocrisy.

‘You seem a fine fellow,’ said Moore, quite coolly and dryly; ‘you don’t care for showing me that you are a double-dyed hypocrite, that your trade is fraud; you expect, indeed, to make me laugh at the cleverness with which you play your coarsely farcical part, while at the same time you think you are deceiving the men behind you.’

Moses’ countenance lowered; he saw he had gone too far. He was going to answer when the second leader, impatient of being hitherto kept in the background, stepped forward. This man did not look like a traitor, though he had an exceedingly self-confident and conceited air.

‘Mr. Moore,’ commenced he, speaking also in his throat and nose, and enunciating each word very slowly, as if with a view to giving his audience time to appreciate fully the uncommon elegance of the phraseology; ‘it might, perhaps, justly be said that reason rather than peace is our purpose. We come, in the first place, to request you to hear reason, and should you refuse, it is my duty to warn you, in very decided terms, that measures will be had resort to’ (he meant recourse), ‘which will probably terminate in—in bringing you to a sense of the unwisdom, of the—the foolishness, which seems to guide and guard your proceedings as a tradesman in this manufacturing part of the country. Hem! \td Sir, I would beg to allude that as a furriner, coming from a distant coast, another quarter and hemisphere of this globe, thrown, as I may say, a perfect outcast on these shores—the cliffs of Albion—you have not that understanding of huz and wer ways which might conduce to the benefit of the working-classes. If, to come at once to partic’lars, you’d consider to give up this here miln, and go without further protractions straight home to where you belong, it ’ud happen be as well. I can see naught ageean such a plan. What hev ye to say tull ’t, lads?’ turning round to the other members of the deputation, who responded unanimously, ‘Hear, hear!’

‘Brayvo, Noah o’ Tim’s!’ murmured Joe Scott, who stood behind Mr. Moore. ‘Moses ’ll niver beat that- Cliffs o’ Albion, and t’ other hemisphere! My certy! Did ye come fro’ th’ Antarctic Zone, maister? Moses is dished.’

Moses, however, refused to be dished; he thought he would try again. Casting a somewhat ireful glance at ‘Noah o’ Tim’s,’ he launched out in his turn; and now he spoke in a serious tone, relinquishing the sarcasm which he found had not answered.

‘Or iver you set up the pole o’ your tent amang us, Mr. Moore, we lived i’ peace and quietness; yea, I may say, in all loving-kindness. I am not myself an aged person as yet, but I can remember as far back as maybe some twenty year, when hand-labour were encouraged and respected, and no mischief-maker had ventured to introduce these here machines, which is so pernicious. Now, I am not a cloth-dresser myself, but by trade a tailor; howsiver, my heart is of a softish natur’; I’m a very feeling man, and when I see my brethren oppressed, like my great namesake of old, I stand up for ’em; for which intent, I this day speak with you face to face, and advises you to part wi’ your infernal machinery, and tak’ on more hands.’

‘What if I don’t follow your advice, Mr. Barraclough?’

‘The Looard pardon you! The Looard soften your heart, sir!’

‘Are you in connection with the Wesleyans now, Mr. Barraclough?’

‘Praise God! Bless His Name! I’m a joined Methody!’