Ah, no!
Ah, no! Ah-h-h-h no-o-o-o! Ah-h-h-h no-o-o-o! Ah-h-h-h no-o-o-o!
No-o-o-o! No-o-o-o! No-o! No-o-o!--Ah-h-h-h!--it's enough, it's
enough, it's enough--he's a man as you are. He's a man as you are.
He's a man as you are. (Weeps--a breath of silence.)
OLIVER. Let us stop now--let us stop now. Let me stand up.
(Silence.) I want to stand up. (A muffled noise.)
VOICE. Let him get up. (OLIVER rises.)
OLIVER. Be quiet. Be quiet.--Now--choose! Choose! Choose! Choose
what you will do! Only choose! Choose!--it will be irrevocable. (A
moment's pause.) Thank God we haven't gone too far.--Gerald, get up.
(Men still hold him down.)
JOB ARTHUR. Isn't he to answer us? Isn't he going to answer us?
OLIVER. Yes, he shall answer you. He shall answer you. But let
him stand up. No more of this. Let him stand up. He must stand
up. (Men still hold GERALD down.) OLIVER takes hold of their
hands and removes them.) Let go--let go now. Yes, let go--yes--I
ask you to let go. (Slowly, sullenly, the men let go. GERALD is
free, but he does not move.) There--get up, Gerald! Get up! You
aren't hurt, are you? You must get up--it's no use. We're doing
our best--you must do yours. When things are like this, we have
to put up with what we get. (GERALD rises slowly and faces the
mob. They roar dully.) You ask why the clerks didn't get this
increase? Wait! Wait! Do you still wish for any answer, Mr.
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