Woman on Her Own, False Gods and The Red Robe Part 31

FeLIAT. Then I'll go. Do try and keep your tempers.

ALL [_speaking together_] Oh yes. To be sure, sir. You needn't trouble, sir.

_Feliat goes out. The workmen and workwomen left together shake hands all round without any particular courtesy or cordiality._

CHARPIN. Well, what d'you say to a sit down?

DESCHAUME [_speaking of Charpin_] That lazy swine's only comfortable when he's sittin' down.

CHARPIN. I ain't agoing to tire meself for nix, not 'arf!

_Berthe and Constance have mechanically brought chairs for the workmen, who take them without any thanks, accustomed as they are to be waited upon. When all are seated they see that Therese has been left standing._

CONSTANCE [_rising_] Have my chair, Mademoiselle.

THeReSE. No, thank you, I prefer to stand.

CHARPIN. I see that all our little lot's here. There's four on us, but only three 'er you.

DESCHAUME [_meaningly_] One of the hens ain't turned up yet.

CHARPIN [_sn.i.g.g.e.ring_] Perhaps she's a bit shy, like.

THeReSE. You mean Mother Bougne. You, workmen yourselves, mock at an old woman wrecked by work. But you're right. She ought to be here. I'll go and fetch her. Only to look at her would be an argument on our side.

[_She goes out to the right_]

DESCHAUME. Mademoiselle Therese needn't kick up such a dust about a little thing like that. There's four on us; so there must be four on you, in case we have to take a vote.

_Therese comes back with Mother Bougne._

THeReSE [_to the workmen_] Give me a chair. [_They do so_] Sit down, Mother Bougne. [_Insisting_] Mother Bougne, sit down.

MOTHER BOUGNE. Oh, don't trouble, miss, I'm not used to--

THeReSE [_sharply_] Sit down.

_Mother Bougne sits down._

CHARPIN. Well, here's the bloomin' bunch of us.

DESCHAUME. We'd best fix up a chairman.

GIRARD. What's the good of that?

DESCHAUME. We'd best have you, Girard. You've education, and you're up to all the dodges about public meetings.

GIRARD. It's not worth while.

DESCHAUME. Well, I only put it forrard because it's the usual. But have it your own way! [_A silence_] Only don't all jaw at once. You'll see you'll want a chairman, I tell you that, but I don't care. It ain't my show.

CHARPIN. Get a move on you, Girard, and speak up.

GIRARD. Well, ladies--

VINCENT [_interrupting_] Now look here. I want to get at an understandin'.

THeReSE. Monsieur Girard, will you be kind enough to speak for your friends? We have nothing to say on our part. We're asking for nothing.

GIRARD. Well, that's true. We want to have the mending back.

THeReSE. And we don't mean to give it up.

GIRARD. Well, we expected that. Now, to show you that we're not such a bad lot as you think, we'll share it with you on two conditions. The first is that you're paid the same wages as we are.

DESCHAUME. Look here, that won't suit me at all, that won't. If my old woman gets as much as me, how am I to keep her under? Blimey, she'll think she's my bloomin' equal!

GIRARD [_impatiently_] Oh, bung her into some other berth. Let me go on.

The second condition is that you aren't to have a separate workshop.

We'll all work together as we used to.

THeReSE. Why?

DESCHAUME. You women do a d.a.m.ned sight too much for your ha'pence.

GIRARD. Yes, it's all in the interests of the masters. It's against solidarity.

THeReSE. Will you allow me to express my astonishment that you should make conditions with us when you wish to take something from us?

CHARPIN. We're ony tellin' you our terms for sharing the work with you.

THeReSE. I quite understand; but we have no desire to share it with you.

We mean to keep it. And I'm greatly surprised to hear you suggest that we should all work together.

CONSTANCE. Indeed we won't.

DESCHAUME. Why not, Mademoiselle? When we worked together--

CONSTANCE [_interrupting_] When we worked with you before, you played all sorts of dirty tricks on us to make us leave.

DESCHAUME. What tricks? Did you hear anything about that, Charpin?

CHARPIN. I dunnow what she's talkin' about. D'you Vincent?

VINCENT. Look here, I only want to get to an understandin'.

CONSTANCE. You never stopped sayin' beastly things.

DESCHAUME AND CHARPIN [_protesting together_] Oh! O-ho!