William the Fourth Read Free

conspirator; Jameson Jameson limped slightly and smiled patiently and forgivingly upon Robert, who was still apologising
for William. The words that were wafted across to listening ears upon the Spring breeze were: ‘Next Tuesday, then’.
    Then the Branches turned to a discussion of details. They were nothing if not practical. After about a quarter of an hour they departed, each pulling his cap over his eye and frowning. As they
departed they murmured: ‘Next Tuesday, then’.
    Next Tuesday dawned bright and clear, with no hint that it was one of those days on which the world’s fate is decided.
    The Senior Bolshevists met in the morning. They discussed the possibility of getting in touch with Lenin, but no one knew his exact address, or the rate of postage to Russia, so no definite step
was taken.
    During the afternoon Robert followed his father into the library. His face was set and stern.
    ‘Look here, Father,’ he said, ‘we’ve been thinking – some of us. Things don’t seem fair. We’re all human beings. It’s time for action. We’ve
all agreed to speak to our fathers today and point things out to them. They’ve been misjudged and maligned, but we’re going to purge them of all that. You see, we’re all human
beings, and it’s time for action. We’re all agreed on that. We’ve got equal rights, because we’re all human beings.’
    He paused, inserted a finger between his neck and collar as if he found its pressure intolerable, then smoothed back his hair. He was looking almost apoplectic.
    ‘I don’t know whether I make my meaning clear,’ he began again.
    ‘You don’t, old chap, whatever it may be,’ said his father soothingly. ‘Perhaps you feel the heat? – or the Spring? You ought to take something cooling, and then
lie down for a few hours.’
    ‘You don’t understand,’ said Robert desperately. ‘It’s life or death to civilisation. You see, we’re all human beings, and all equal, and we’ve got
equal rights, and yet some have all the things, and some have none. You see, we thought we’d all start at home and get things made more fair there, and our fathers to divide up the money more
fairly and give us our real share, and then we could go round teaching other people to give things up to other people and share things out more fairly. You see, we must begin at home, and then we
start fair. We’re all human beings with equal rights.’
    ‘You’re so very modest in your demands,’ said Robert’s father. ‘Would half be enough for you? Are you sure you wouldn’t like a little more?’
    Robert waved the suggestion aside.
    ‘No,’ he said, ‘you see, you have the others to keep. But we’ve all decided to ask our fathers today, then we can start fair and have some funds to go on. A society
without funds seems to be so handicapped. And it would be an example to other fathers all over the world. You see—’
    At this moment Robert’s mother came in.
    ‘What a mess your room’s in, Robert! I hope William hasn’t been rummaging in it.’
    Robert turned pale.
    ‘William!’ he gasped, and fled to investigate.
    He returned in a few minutes, almost inarticulate with fury.
    ‘My watch!’ he said. ‘My purse! Both gone! I’m going after him.’
    He seized his hat from the hall, and started to the door. His father watched him, leaning easily against the doorpost of the library, and smiling.
    From the garden as he passed came a wail.
    ‘My bicycle! Gone too. The shed’s empty!’
    In the road he met Jameson Jameson.
    ‘Burglars!’ said Jameson Jameson. ‘All my money’s been taken. And my camera! The wretches! I’m going to scour the country for them.’
    Various other members of the Bolshevist Society appeared, filled with wrath and lamenting vanished treasures.
    ‘It can’t be burglars,’ said Robert, ‘because why only us?’
    ‘Do you think someone in the Government found out about us being Bolshevists and is trying to intimidate us?’
    Jameson