It is the general fate of street meetings. At about eleven I began looking for a bed. But they do not think, because they have no leisure forit; their life has made slaves of them. The Pole and the Jew had a tremendous struggle to get the money frombetween old Roucolles claws. I paid the shilling, and the boy led me up a rickety unlightedstaircase to a bedroom. The other man seeing that public feeling was against him,went out. An ordinary London coffee-shop, like athousand others, it seemed queer. In the morning I was woken by a dimimpression of some large brown thing coming towards me. In this way ourincompetence piled one job on another throughout the day, everything inarrears. A slave, Marcus Gato said, should be workingwhen he is not sleeping. At about eleven I began looking for a bed. He is cutoff from marriage, or, if he marries, his wife must work too. One of them was talkative, and I asked him howhe managed to exist. Dont waste time, throw them on the floor. For a long time Icould not make up my mind what to do. At last, when the police were searching only one floor below, somebodyhad an idea. From this ignorance a superstitious fear of the mob results quitenaturally. The question is, why does this slavery continue? He is a king compared with a rickshawpuller or a gharry pony, but his case is analogous. For some reason they have not yet crossedthe river in any great numbers. Till ten, things went comparatively easily, though we were workingfast, and no one lost his temper. The cooks vast buttocks bangedagainst me as she moved to and fro. He looked at theclothes I was wearing and felt them disparagingly between thumb and finger. After a few years even the whip losesits virtue, and the pony goes to the knacker. Charlie told me that hehad been present at the scene. Some drops of spittle fell from the trumpet. Suddenly everything becamehurry and bad temper. After an hour a policeman came back with the tin of cocaine and a notefrom the analyst. Im sorry, he said; your employers have gone abroad, patient andall. A lame,bearded man, evidently an atheist, had heard the word God and was hecklingangrily. I explained that I wanted some older clothes and as much money as hecould spare. A lame,bearded man, evidently an atheist, had heard the word God and was hecklingangrily. I helped ahawker pick up a barrow that he had upset. Except by alucky chance, he has no escape from this life, save into prison. The very next morning thehotel was raided and searched by the police. Forthis they could buy ten pounds of cocaine, which would be worth a smallfortune in England.
