Ther's a pump an' a 'ose pipe, an' they reckon two men can do as much with this 'ere machine as twenty could without it.' 'Another thing is women,' said Harlow, 'there's thousands of 'em nowadays doin' work wot oughter be done by men.' 'In my opinion ther's too much of this 'ere eddication, nowadays,' remarked old Linden.

'Wot the 'ell's the good of eddication to the likes of us ?' 'None whatever,' said Crass, 'it just puts foolish idears into people's 'eds and makes 'em too lazy to work.' Barrington, who took no part in the conversation, still sat silently smoking.

Owen was listening to this pitiable farrago with feelings of contempt and wonder.

Were they all hopelessly stupid?
Had their intelligence never developed beyond the childhood stage?
Or was he mad himself?
'Early marriages is another thing,' said Slyme: 'no man oughtn't to be allowed to get married unless he's in a position to keep a family.' 'How can marriage be a cause of poverty ?' said Owen, contemptuously.

'A man who is not married is living an unnatural life.