‘Yes, of course.’

’Then you can get to know Mrs. Westlake, I dare say.  She’s a lady, you know, like yourself.  There’s some poetry by her in the paper; it just has her initials, “S.  W.”  She’s with us heart and soul, as you’ll see by her writing.’

‘Is Alice a Socialist?’ Adela asked, after glancing fitfully at the papers.

Richard laughed.

’Oh, she’s a princess; it would be too much to expect Socialism of her.  But I dare say she’ll be beginning to think more now.  I don’t mean she’s been thoughtless in the wrong way; it’s just a—­I can’t very well describe it.  But I hope you’ll see her to-morrow night May I bring her to you when she comes?’

‘I hope you will.’

’I’m glad your brother won’t be here.  I only mean, you know, I’d rather she got accustomed just to you first of all.  I dare say she’ll be a bit timid, you won’t mind that?’

Adela returned to the graver subject.

‘All the people at New Wanley are Socialists?’

’Yes, all of them.  They join the Union when they come to work, and we take a good deal of care in choosing our men.’

‘And you pay higher wages than other employers?’

’Not much higher, but the rents of the cottages are very low, and all the food sold at the store is cost price.  No, we don’t pretend to make the men rich.  We’ve had a good lot coming with quite mistaken ideas, and of course they wouldn’t suit us.  And you mustn’t call me the employer.  All I have I look upon as the property of the Union; the men own it as much as I do.  It’s only that I regulate the work, just because somebody must.  We’re not making any profits to speak of yet, but that’ll only come in time; whatever remains as clear profit,—­and I don’t take anything out of the works myself—­goes to the Propaganda fund of the Union.’

’Please forgive my ignorance.  I’ve heard that word “Propaganda” so often, but I don’t know exactly what it means.’

Mutimer became patronising, quite without intending it.

’Propaganda?  Oh, that’s the spreading our ideas, you know; printing paper, giving lectures, hiring places of meeting, and so on.  That’s what Propaganda means.’

‘Thank you,’ said Adela musingly.  Then she continued,—­

’And the workmen only have the advantage, at present, of the low rents and cheap food?’

’Oh, a good deal more.  To begin with, they’re housed like human beings, and not like animals.  Some day you shall see the kind of places the people live in, in London and other big towns.  You won’t believe your eyes.  Then they have shorter hours of work; they’re not treated like omnibus horses, calculating just how much can be got out of them without killing them before a reasonable time.  Then they’re sure of their work as long as they keep honest and don’t break any of our rules; that’s no slight thing, I can tell you.  Why, on the ordinary system a man may find himself and his family without food any week end.  Then there’s a good school for the children; they pay threepence a week for each child.  Then there’s the reading-room and library, and the lectures, and the recreation-grounds.  You just come over the place with me some day, and talk with the women, and see if they don’t think they’re well off.’