Docker pointed with threatening forefinger to the man who had just sat down.
"It's the likes of him," he declared, "who keep down wages, who make slaves of us! The likes of him, who haven't the pluck to ask for what they might get at any time!" He plunged into facts and figures, and Maraton more than once yawned.
He seemed to find more interest in watching the faces of the audience than in listening to the stock arguments which were being thrown at their heads.

A little cloud of tobacco smoke hung about the room.
There were few women present, and most of the men were smoking.

On the whole they were a very earnest gathering.

There were very few there who were not deeply interested.

Julia was listening to every word, her head resting upon her hand, her lips a little parted, her eyes full of smouldering fires.