the uneasy impression made by the chat special was soon confirmed next morning. no coal was available at the wharves under three shillings per hundredweight. some of the poorer classes bought at the price, but the majority turned away, muttering of vengeance, and deeply disappointed.
whatever way they went the same story assailed them. the stereotyped reply was given at king's cross, euston, st. pancras and in the caledonian road. the situation had suddenly grown dangerous and critical. the sullen, grotesque stream flowed back westward with a headway towards trafalgar square. a good many sheepskins were worn, for gough's idea had become popular.
in some mysterious way it got abroad that john hampden was going to address a mass meeting. by half-past two trafalgar square and the approaches thereto were packed. it was a little later that hampden appeared. there was very little cheering or enthusiasm, for it was too cold. the crowd had no disposition to riot, all they wanted was for the popular tribune to show them some way of getting coal—their one great necessity—at a reasonable price.
hampden, too, was singularly quiet and restrained. there was none of the wildness that usually accompanied his oratory. he counselled quietness and prudence. he pledged the vast gathering that before night he would show a way of getting the coal. all he required was a vast orderly crowd outside st. stephen's where he was going almost at once to interrogate ministers upon the present crisis. there was a question on the paper of which he had given the president of the board of trade private notice. if nothing came of that he would know how to act.
there was little more, but that little to the point. an hour later a dense mass of men had gathered about st. stephen's. but they were grim and silent and orderly.
for an ordinary afternoon sitting the house was exceeding full. as the light fell on the square hard face of john hampden a prosy bore prating on some ubiquitous subject was howled down. a minute later and hampden rose.
he put his question clearly and to the point. then he turned and faced the modestly retiring forms of mr. john hayes and his colleague rhys-smith, and for ten minutes they writhed under the lash of his bitter invective. as far as he could gather from the very vague reply of the board of trade representative, the government were powerless to act in the matter. a gang of financiers had deliberately chosen to put money in their pockets out of the great misfortune that had befallen london. unless the new syndicate saw their way to bow to public opinion——
"it is a business transaction," hayes stammered. "we shall not give way. if the government likes to make a grant to the poorer classes——"
a yell of anger drowned the sentence. all parts of the house took part in the heated demonstration. the only two cool heads there were the speaker and john hampden. the first lord rose to throw oil on the troubled waters.
"there is a way out of it," he said presently. "we can pass a short bill giving parliament powers to acquire all fuel and provisions for the public welfare in the face of crises like these. it was done on similar lines in the dynamite bill. in two days the bill would be in the statute book——"
"and in the meantime the poorer classes will be frozen," hampden cried. "the leader of the house has done his best, he will see that the bill becomes law. after to-night the working-people in london will be prepared to wait till the law gives them the power to draw their supplies without fear of punishment. but you can't punish a crowd like the one outside. i am going to show the world what a few thousands of resolute men can accomplish. if the two honourable members opposite are curious to see how it is done let them accompany me, and i will offer them a personal guarantee of safety."
he flung his hand wide to the house; he quitted his place and strode out. hayes rose to speak, but nobody listened. the dramatic episode was at an end, and hampden had promised another. within a few minutes the house was empty. outside was the dense mass of silent, patient, shivering humanity.
"wonderful man, hampden," the first lord whispered to the president of the board of trade; "wonder what he's up to now. if those people yonder only knew their power! i should have more leisure then."
