第91章 Chapter 33(1)

Sixth Century Political Economy HOWEVER,I made a dead set at him,and before the first third of the dinner was reached,I had him happy again.It was easy to do --in a country of ranks and castes.You see,in a country where they have ranks and castes,a man isn't ever a man,he is only part of a man,he can't ever get his full growth.You prove your superiority over him in station,or rank,or fortune,and that's the end of it --he knuckles down.You can't insult him after that.No,I don't mean quite that;of course you CAN insult him,I only mean it's difficu

The king got his cargo aboard,and then,the talk not turning upon battle,conquest,or iron-clad duel,he dulled down to drowsiness and went off to take a nap.Mrs.Marco cleared the table,placed the beer keg handy,and went away to eat her dinner of leavings in humble privacy,and the rest of us soon drifted into matters near and dear to the hearts of our sort --business and wages,of course.At a first glance,things appeared to be exceeding prosperous in this little tributary kingdom --whose lord was King Bagdemagus --as compared with the state of things in my own region.

They had the "protection"system in full force here,whereas we were working along down toward free-trade,by easy stages,and were now about half way.

Before long,Dowley and I were doing all the talking,the others hungrily listening.Dowley warmed to his work,snuffed an advantage in the air,and began to put questions which he considered pretty awkward ones for me,and they did have something of that look:

"In your country,brother,what is the wage of a master bailiff,master hind,carter,shepherd,swineherd?""Twenty-five milrays a day;that is to say,a quarter of a cent.

The smith's face beamed with joy.He said:

"With us they are allowed the double of it!And what may a mechanic get --carpenter,dauber,mason,painter,blacksmith,wheelwright,and the like?""On the average,fifty milrays;half a cent a day.""Ho-ho!With us they are allowed a hundred!With us any good mechanic is allowed a cent a day!I count out the tailor,but not the others --they are all allowed a cent a day,and in driving times they get more --yes,up to a hundred and ten and even fifteen milrays a day.I've paid a hundred and fifteen myself,within the week.'Rah for protection --to Sheol with free-trade!"And his face shone upon the company like a sunburst.But I didn't scare at all.I rigged up my pile-driver,and allowed myself fifteen minutes to drive him into the earth --drive him ALL in --drive him in till not even the curve of his skull should show above ground.Here is the way Istarted in on him.I asked:

"What do you pay a pound for salt?"

"A hundred milrays."

"We pay forty.What do you pay for beef and mutton --when you buy it?"That was a neat hit;it made the color come.

"It varieth somewhat,but not much;one may say 75milrays the pound.""WE pay 33.What do you pay for eggs?"

"Fifty milrays the dozen."

"We pay 20.What do you pay for beer?"

"It costeth us 81/2milrays the pint."

"We get it for 4;25bottles for a cent.What do you pay for wheat?""At the rate of 900milrays the bushel."

"We pay 400.What do you pay for a man's towlinen suit?""Thirteen cents."

"We pay 6.What do you pay for a stuff gown for the wife of the laborer or the mechanic?""We pay 8.4.0."

"Well,observe the difference:you pay eight cents and four mills,we pay only four cents."I prepared now to sock it to him.l said:"Look here,dear friend,WHAT'S BECOME OF YOUR HIGH WAGES YOU WERE BRAGGING SO ABOUTA FEW MINUTES AGO?"--and I looked around on the company with placid satisfaction,for I had slipped up on him gradually and tied him hand and foot,you see,without his ever noticing that he was being tied at all."What's become of those noble high wages of yours?--I seem to have knocked the stuffing all out of them,it appears to me."But if you will believe me,he merely looked surprised,that is all!

he didn't grasp the situation at all,didn't know he had walked into a trap,didn't discover that he was IN a trap.I could have shot him,from sheer vexation.With cloudy eye and a struggling intellect he fetched this out:

"Marry,I seem not to understand.It is PROVED that our wages be double thine;how then may it be that thou'st knocked therefrom the stuffing?--an miscall not the wonderly word,this being the first time under grace and providence of God it hath been granted me to hear it."Well,I was stunned;partly with this unlooked-for stupidity on his part,and partly because his fellows so manifestly sided with him and were of his mind --if you might call it mind.My position was simple enough,plain enough;how could it ever be simplified more?However,I must try: