were handed to each of the delegates, who were in a day or two to
set out on their expeditions to Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, etc.
These men were most of them members of the deputation who had that
morning waited upon the masters. After he had drawn up some
letters, and spoken a few more stirring words, the gentleman from
London withdrew, previously shaking hands all round; and many
speedily followed him out of the room, and out of the house.

The newly-appointed delegates, and one or two others, remained
behind to talk over their respective missions, and to give and
exchange opinions in more homely and natural language than they
dared to use before the London orator.

"He's a rare chap, yon," began one, indicating the departed delegate
by a jerk of his thumb towards the door. "He's getten the gift of
the gab, anyhow!"

"Ay! ay! he knows what he's about. See how he poured it into us
about that there Brutus. He were pretty hard, too, to kill his own
son!"

"I could kill mine if he took part with the masters; to be sure,
he's but a step-son, but that makes no odds," said another.

But now tongues were hushed, and all eyes were directed towards the
member of the deputation who had that morning returned to the hotel
to obtain possession of Harry Carson's clever caricature of the
operatives.

The heads clustered together, to gaze at and detect the likenesses.