because all this indispensable plant； and the materials for
producing a fresh supply of it； had been appropriated by earlier
comers。 So they found themselves with gaping stomachs； shivering
limbs；； and hungry wives and children； in a place called their
own country； in which； nevertheless； every scrap of ground and
possible source of subsistence was tightly locked up in the hands
of others and guarded by armed soldiers and policemen。 In this
helpless condition； the poor devils were ready to beg for access
to a factory and to raw cotton on any conditions compatible with
life。 My father offered them the use of his factory； his
machines； and his raw cotton on the following conditions： They
were to work long and hard； early and late； to add fresh value to
his raw cotton by manufacturing it。 Out of the value thus created
by them； they were to recoup him for what he supplied them with：
rent； shelter； gas； water； machinery； raw cottoneverything； and
to pay him for his own services as superintendent； manager； and
salesman。 So far he asked nothing but just remuneration。 But
after this had been paid； a balance due solely to their own labor
remained。 'Out of this；' said my father； 'you shall keep just
enough to save you from starving； and of the rest you shall make
me a present to reward me for my virtue in saving money。 Such is
the bargain I propose。 It is； in my opinion； fair and calculated
to encourage thrifty habits。 If it does not strike you in that
light； you can get a factory and raw cotton for yourselves； you
shall not use mine。' In other words； they might go to the devil
and starveHobson's choice！for all the other factories were
owned by men who offered no better terms。 The Manchesterians
could not bear to starve or to see their children starve； and so
they accepted his terms and went into the factory。 The terms； you
see； did not admit of their beginning to save for themselves as
he had done。 Well； they created great wealth by their labor； and
lived on very little； so that the balance they gave for nothing
to my father was large。 He bought more cotton； and more
machinery； and more factories with it； employed more men to make
wealth for him； and saw his fortune increase like a rolling
snowball。 He prospered enormously； but the work men were no
better off than at first； and they dared not rebel and demand
more of the money they had made； for there were always plenty of
starving wretches outside willing to take their places on the old
terms。 Sometimes he met with a check； as； for instance； when； in
his eagerness to increase his store； he made the men manufacture
more cotton than the public needed； or when he could not get
enough of raw cotton； as happened during the Civil War in
America。 Then he adapted himself to circumstances by turning away
as many workmen as he could not find customers or cotton for； and
they； of course； starved or subsisted on charity。 During the
war…time a big subscription was got up for these poor wretches；
and my father subscribed one hundred pounds； in spite； he said；
of his own great losses。 Then he bought new machines； and； as
women and children could work these as well as men； and were
cheaper and more docile； he turned away about seventy out of
every hundred of his HANDS （so he called the men）； and replaced
them by their wives and children； who made money for him faster
than ever。 By this time he had long ago given up managing the
factories； and paid clever fellows who had no money of their own
a few hundreds a year to do it for him。 He also purchased shares
in other concerns conducted on the same principle； pocketed
dividends made in countries which he had never visited by men
whom he had never seen； bought a seat in Parliament from a poor
and corrupt constituency； and helped to preserve the laws by
which he had thriven。 Afterwards； when his wealth grew famous； he
had less need to bribe； for modern men worship the rich as gods；
and will elect a man as one of their rulers for no other reason
than that he is a millionaire。 He aped gentility； lived in a
palace at Kensington； and bought a part of Scotland to make a
deer forest of。 It is easy enough to make a deer forest； as trees
are not necessary there。 You simply drive off the peasants；
destroy their houses； and make a desert of the land。 However； my
father did not shoot much himself； he generally let the forest
out by the season to those who did。 He purchased a wife of gentle
blood too； with the unsatisfactory result now before you。 That is
how Jesse Trefusis； a poor Manchester bagman； contrived to be
come a plutocrat and gentleman of landed estate。 And also how I；
who never did a stroke of work in my life； am overburdened with
wealth； whilst the children of the men who made that wealth are
slaving as their fathers slaved； or starving； or in the
workhouse； or on the streets； or the deuce knows where。 What do
you think of that； my love？〃
〃What is the use of worrying about it； Sidney？ It cannot be
helped now。 Besides； if your father saved money； and the others
were improvident； he deserved to make a fortune。〃
〃Granted； but he didn't make a fortune。 He took a fortune that
others made。 At Cambridge they taught me that his profits were
the reward of abstinencethe abstinence which enabled him to
save。 That quieted my conscience until I began to wonder why one
man should make another pay him for exercising one of the
virtues。 Then came the question： what did my father abstain from？
The workmen abstained from meat； drink； fresh air； good clothes；
decent lodging； holidays； money； the society of their families；
and pretty nearly everything that makes life worth living； which
was perhaps the reason why they usually died twenty years or so
sooner than people in our circumstances。 Yet no one rewarded them
for their abstinence。 The reward came to my father； who abstained
from none of these things； but indulged in them all to his
heart's content。 Besides； if the money was the reward of
abstinence； it seemed logical to infer that he must abstain ten
times as much when he bad fifty thousand a year as when he had
only five thousand。 Here was a problem for my young mind。
Required； something from which my father abstained and in which
his workmen exceeded； and which he abstained from more and more
as he grew richer and richer。 The only thing that answered this
description was hard work； and as I never met a sane man willing
to pay another for idling； I began to see that these prodigious
payments to my father were extorted by force。 To do him justice；
he never boasted of abstinence。 He considered himself a
hard…worked man； and claimed his fortune as the reward of his
risks； his calculations； his anxieties； and the journeys he had
to make at all seasons and at all hours。 This comforted me
somewhat until it occurred to me that if he had lived a century
earlier； invested his money in a horse and a pair of pistols； and
taken to the road； his objectthat of wresting from others the
fruits of their labor without rendering them an equivalentwould
have been exactly the same； and his risk far greater； for it
would have included risk of the gallows。 Constant travelling with
the constable at his heels； and calculations of the chances of
robbing the Dover mail； would have given him his fill of activity
and anxiety。 On the whole； if Jesse Trefusis； M。P。； who died a
millionaire in his palace at Kensington； had been a highwayman； I
could not more heartily loathe the social arrangements that
rendered such a career as his not only possible； but eminently
creditable to himself in the eyes of his fellows。 Most men make
it their business to imitate him； hoping to become rich and idle
on the same terms。 Therefore I turn my back on them。 I cannot sit
at their feasts knowing how much they cost in human misery； and
seeing how little they produce of human happiness。 What is your
opinion； my treasure？〃
Henrietta seemed a little troubled。 She smiled faintly； and said
caressingly； 〃It was not your fault； Sidney。 _I_ don't blame
you。〃
〃Immortal powers！〃 he exclaimed； sitting bolt upright and
appealing to the skies； 〃here is a woman who believes that the
only concern all this causes me is whether she thinks any the
worse of me personally on account of it！〃
〃No； no； Sidney。 It is not I alone。 Nobody thinks the worse of
you for it。〃
〃Quite so；〃 he returned； in a polite frenzy。 〃Nobody sees any
harm in it。 That is precisely the mischief of it。〃
〃Besides；〃 she urged； 〃your mother belonged to one of the oldest
families in England。〃
〃And what more can man desire than wealth with descent from a
county family！ Could a man be happier than I ought to be； sprung
as I am from monopolists of all the sources and instruments of
productionof land on the one side； and of machinery on the
other？ This very ground on which we are resting was the property
of my mother's father。 At least the law allowed him to use it as
such。 When he was a boy； there was a fairly prosperous race of
peasants settled here； tilling the soil； paying him rent for
permission to do so； and making enough out of it to satisfy his
large wants and their own narrow needs without working themselves
to death。 But my grandfather was a shrewd man。 He perceived that
cows and sheep produced more money by their meat and wool than
peasants by their husbandry。 So he cleared the estate。 That is；
he drove the peasants from their homes； as my father did
afterwards in his Scotch deer forest。 Or； as his tombstone has
it； he developed the resources of his country。 I don't know what
became of the peasants； HE didn't know； and； I presume； didn't
care。 I suppose the old ones went into the workhouse； and the
young ones crowded the towns； and worked for men like my father
in factories。 Their places were taken by cattle； which paid for
their food so well that my grandfather； getting my father to take
shares in the enterprise； hired laborers on the Manchester terms
to cut that canal for him。 When it was made； he took toll upon
it； and his heirs still take toll； and the sons of the navvies
who dug it and of the engineer who designed it pay the toll when
they have occasion to travel by it； or to purchase goods which