SHREWISH VOICE:  It is my business!

MRS. SIMPSON:  I’ll show you!  I was here first; everything was going all right.  Carter, are you going to come out here and do your duty like I said?

CARTER [attempting sternness and failing]:  You shut that door!  I got to get this report in order before the meeting.  I’m not comin’.

MRS. SIMPSON:  Then I won’t be responsible for what happens!  She ain’t the only one.  Mrs. Shomberg is out here messin’ things up, too.  If you won’t do your duty there’ll be direct action took here! [She goes out violently.]

CARTER:  That’s got to come up in meeting.  It certainly has.  These here wives!  For example, my wife’s an awful quiet woman, but you s’pose she’s goin’ to stand it when she hears about all these others?  I’d like to keep her at home.

NORA:  I just wonder—­

CARTER:  What was you wondering, Miss Gorodna?

NORA:  Well, if that’s something the meeting can settle?

CARTER [doggedly]:  Well, it’s got to vote on it.

NORA:  We did vote on Mrs. Simpson last meeting.

CARTER:  Well, we got to vote on her and all the rest of ’em this time.

NORA:  It didn’t seem to settle Mrs. Simpson, did it?

CARTER:  Well, it hadn’t got so bad then.  Now it’s got to be settled!  We got to git everything fixed up now.

[A frightful dispute is heard in numerous male voices; some speaking Italian, some Yiddish, and some broken English.  This grows louder as FRANKEL rushes in, throwing the door shut behind him and leaning against it, wiping his forehead.]

FRANKEL:  Life ain’t worth livin’!  Life ain’t worth livin’!

CARTER:  Serves you right, Frankel!

     [At the filter FRANKEL pours water from the glass upon a
     dirty handkerchief and passes the handkerchief over his
     forehead.]

FRANKEL:  I got to git some peace!  I got to collect myself.

CARTER:  That shows you ain’t got no rights like you claimed.  You can’t control your labour element.

FRANKEL [bitterly]:  I’ll control ’em all right!  I’ll show ’em who’s their master!

     [A man’s head with shaggy hair and ragged whiskers is thrust
     in at the factory door.  This is POLENSKI.]

POLENSKI [ferociously]:  Are you goin’ to come out here like a man?

FRANKEL:  You bet I’m comin’ out there, Polenski!  I’ll show you who’s the man here!  You Hunnyacks try to browbeat me!

     [As he goes out, babbling fiercely, the howls of a Roman mob
     are heard greeting him.]

CARTER:  I don’t feel no sympathy with him.

NORA:  No; I should think not!