The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
define them himself. He could not think of words that would convey his thoughts clearly to these others who were so hostile and unwilling to understand, and who appeared to have made up their minds to oppose and reject whatever he said. They did not know what were the causes of poverty and apparently they did not want to know.
'Well, I'll try to show you one of the causes,' he said nervously at last.
He picked up a piece of charred wood that had fallen from the fire and knelt down and began to draw upon the floor. Most of the others regarded him with looks in which an indulgent contemptuous kind of interest mingled with an air of superiority and patronage. There was no doubt, they thought, that Owen was a clever sort of chap: his work proved that; but he was certainly a little bit mad.
By this time Owen had drawn a circle about two feet in diameter. Inside this he had drawn two squares, one much larger than the other. These two squares he filled in solid black with the charcoal.
'Wot's it all about?' asked Crass with a sneer.
'Why, can't you see?' said Philpot, with a wink. ''E's goin' to do some conjurin'! In a minit 'e'll make something pass out 'o one 'o them squares into the other and no one won't see 'ow it's done.'
When he had finished drawing, Owen remained for a few minutes awkwardly silent, oppressed by the anticipation of
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