第81章

Small wonder that when this good and public-spirited man offered his services to the town - free of charge - the intelligent working men of Mugsborough accepted his offer with enthusiastic applause.The fact that he had made money in business was a proof of his intellectual capacity.His much-advertised benevolence was a guarantee that his abilities would be used to further not his own private interests, but the interests of every section of the community, especially those of the working classes, of whom the majority of his constituents was composed.

As for the shopkeepers, they were all so absorbed in their own business - so busily engaged chasing their employees, adding up their accounts, and dressing themselves up in feeble imitation of the `Haristocracy' - that they were incapable of taking a really intelligent interest in anything else.They thought of the Town Council as a kind of Paradise reserved exclusively for jerry-builders and successful tradesmen.Possibly, some day, if they succeeded in making money, they might become town councillors themselves! but in the meantime public affairs were no particular concern of theirs.So some of them voted for Adam Sweater because he was a Liberal and some of them voted against him for the same `reason'.

Now and then, when details of some unusually scandalous proceeding of the Council's leaked out, the townspeople - roused for a brief space from their customary indifference - would discuss the matter in a casual, half-indignant, half-amused, helpless sort of way; but always as if it were something that did not directly concern them.It was during some such nine days' wonder that the title of `The Forty Thieves' was bestowed on the members of the Council by their semi-imbecile constituents, who, not possessing sufficient intelligence to devise means of punishing the culprits, affected to regard the manoeuvres of the Brigands as a huge joke.

There was only one member of the Council who did not belong to the Band - Councillor Weakling, a retired physician; but unfortunately he also was a respectable man.When he saw something going forwards that he did not think was right, he protested and voted against it and then -he collapsed! There was nothing of the low agitator about HIM.As for the Brigands, they laughed at his protests and his vote did not matter.

With this one exception, the other members of the band were very similar in character to Sweater, Rushton, Didlum and Grinder.They had all joined the Band with the same objects, self-glorification and the advancement of their private interests.These were the real reasons why they besought the ratepayers to elect them to the Council, but of course none of them ever admitted that such was the case.No!

When these noble-minded altruists offered their services to the town they asked the people to believe that they were actuated by a desire to give their time and abilities for the purpose of furthering the interests of Others, which was much the same as asking them to believe that it is possible for the leopard to change his spots.

Owing to the extraordinary apathy of the other inhabitants, the Brigands were able to carry out their depredations undisturbed.

Daylight robberies were of frequent occurrence.

For many years these Brigands had looked with greedy eyes upon the huge profits of the Gas Company.They thought it was a beastly shame that those other bandits should be always raiding the town and getting clear away with such rich spoils.

At length - about two years ago - after much study and many private consultations, a plan of campaign was evolved; a secret council of war was held, presided over by Mr Sweater, and the Brigands formed themselves into an association called `The Mugsborough Electric Light Supply and Installation Coy.Ltd.', and bound themselves by a solemn oath to do their best to drive the Gas Works Bandits out of the town and to capture the spoils at present enjoyed by the latter for themselves.

There was a large piece of ground, the property of the town, that was a suitable site for the works; so in their character of directors of the Electric Light Coy.they offered to buy this land from the Municipality - or, in other words, from themselves - for about half its value.