"
Mrs Johnson (who has him set and has been waiting for him for a year
or so): "It's a damned lie, Mr Isaacs. I was here last Wednesday!"
Then, after a horrified pause in the Court: "But I beg _your_
pardon, Mr Isaacs."
His Worship's head goes down again. The "laughter" doesn't come
here, either. There is a whispered consultation, and (it being
Christmas-time) they compromise with Mrs Johnson for "five shillings
or the risin'," and she thanks his Worship and is escorted out,
rather more hurriedly than is comportable with her dignity, for she
remarks about it.
The members of the Johnsonian sisterhood have reason to be thankful
for the "lift" she has given them, for they all get off lightly, and
even the awful resister of Law-an'-order is forgiven. Mrs Johnson has
money and is waiting outside to stand beers for them; she always
shouts for the boys when she has it. And--what good does it all do?
It is very hard to touch the heart of a woman who is down, though they
are intensely sympathetic amongst themselves. It is nearly as hard as
it is to combat the pride of a hard-working woman in poverty. It was
such women as Mrs Johnson, One-Eyed Kate, and their sisters who led
Paris to Versailles; and a King and a Queen died for it. It is such
women as Mrs Johnson and One-Eyed Kate and their sisters who will lead
a greater Paris to a greater Versailles some day, and many "Trust"
kings and queens, and their princes and princesses shall die for it.
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