“Sir,” replied his dragoman earnestly, “your remark is characteristic of the sky, where people are not made of flesh and blood; pay, I believe, no taxes; and have no experience of the devastating consequences of war. I recollect so well when I was a young man, before the Great Skirmish began, and even when it had been going on several years, how glibly the leaders of opinion talked of human progress, and how blind they were to the fact that it has a certain connection with environment. You must remember that ever since that large and, as some still think rather tragic, occurrence environment has been very dicky and Utopia not unrelated to thin air. It has been perceived time and again that the leaders of public opinion are not always confirmed by events. The new world, which was so sapiently prophesied by rhetoricians, is now nigh thirty years old, and, for my part, I confess to surprise that it is not worse than it actually is. I am moralising, I fear, however, for these suburban buildings grievously encourage the philosophic habit. Rather let us barge along and see the Laborious at their labours, which are never interrupted now by the mere accident of night.” The Angel increased his speed till they alighted amid a forest of tall chimneys, whose sirens were singing like a watch of nightingales. “There is a shift on,” said the dragoman. “Stand here, sir; we shall see them passing in and out.” The Laborious were not hurrying, and went by uttering the words: “Cheer oh!” “So long!” and “Wot abaht it!” The Angel contemplated them for a time before he said: “It comes back to me now how they used to talk when they were doing up my flat on my visit in 1910.” “Give me, I pray, an imitation,” said his dragoman. The Angel struck the attitude of one painting a door. “William,” he said, rendering those voices of the past, “what money are you obtaining?” “Not half, Alfred.” “If that is so, indeed, William, should you not rather leave your tools and obtain better money? I myself am doing this.” “Not half, Alfred.” “Round the corner I can obtain more money by working for fewer hours. In my opinion there is no use in working for less money when you can obtain more. How much does Henry obtain?” “Not half, Alfred.” “What I am now obtaining is, in my opinion, no use at all.” “Not half, Alfred.” Here the Angel paused, and let his hand move for one second in a masterly exhibition of activity. “It is doubtful, sir,” said his dragoman, “whether you would be permitted to dilute your conversation with so much labour in these days; the rules are very strict.” “Are there, then, still Trades Unions?” asked the Angel.