`How can marriage be a cause of poverty?' said Owen, contemptuously.
`A man who is not married is living an unnatural life. Why don't you
continue your argument a little further and say that the practice of
eating and drinking is the cause of poverty or that if people were to
go barefoot and naked there would be no poverty? The man who is so
poor that he cannot marry is in a condition of poverty already.'

`Wot I mean,' said Slyme, `is that no man oughtn't to marry till he's
saved up enough so as to 'ave some money in the bank; an' another
thing, I reckon a man oughtn't to get married till 'e's got an 'ouse
of 'is own. It's easy enough to buy one in a building society if
you're in reg'lar work.'

At this there was a general laugh.

`Why, you bloody fool,' said Harlow, scornfully, `most of us is
walkin' about 'arf our time. It's all very well for you to talk;
you've got almost a constant job on this firm. If they're doin'
anything at all you're one of the few gets a show in. And another
thing,' he added with a sneer, `we don't all go to the same chapel as
old Misery,'

`Old Misery' was Ruston & Co.'s manager or walking foreman. `Misery'
was only one of the nicknames bestowed upon him by the hands: he was
also known as `Nimrod' and `Pontius Pilate'.

`And even if it's not possible,' Harlow continued, winking at the
others, `what's a man to do during the years he's savin' up?'