Page:Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.djvu/218

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists she put down her bag on the pavement at the stopping place, and waited, resting her hand on the iron pillar at the corner of the street, where a little crowd of people were standing, evidently with the same object as herself.

Two trams passed without stopping, for they were already full of passengers, a common circumstance on Saturday nights. The next one stopped, and several persons alighted, and then ensued a fierce struggle amongst the waiting crowd for the vacant seats. Men and women pushed, pulled and almost fought, shoving their fists and elbows into each other's sides and breasts and faces. Ruth was quickly thrust aside and nearly knocked down, and the tram, having taken aboard as many passengers as it had accomodationaccommodation [sic] for, passed on. She waited for the next one, and the same scene was enacted with the same result for her, and then, reflecting that if she had not stayed for these trams she might have been home by now, she determined to resume her walk. The parcels felt heavier than ever, and she had not proceeded very far before she was compelled to put the bag down again upon the pavement outside an empty house.

Leaning against the railings, she felt very tired and ill. Everything around her, the street, the houses, the traffic, seemed vague and shadowy and unreal. Several people looked curiously at her as they passed, but by this time she was scarcely conscious of their scrutiny.

Slyme's 'open air' that night, conducted by the Shining Light Mission, had been a most successful meeting, the disciples—including Hunter, Rushton, Sweater, Didlum, and Mrs Starvem—Ruth's former mistress—had assembled in great force so as to be able to deal more effectively with any infidels or hired critics or drunken scoffers who might disturb the proceedings. When the meeting was over, Slyme set off to his lodging at a good pace, for the evening had turned cold and he was anxious to get home to the fire. He had not gone very far when he saw a small crowd of people on the pavement on the other side of the road, outside an unoccupied house, and in spite of his hurry he crossed over to see what was the matter, There were about twenty people standing there, and in the centre, close to the railings he could hear the voices of three or four women.

'What's up?' he enquired of a man on the edge of the crowd. 206