THE ROLL-CALL BY ARNOLD BENNETT THIRD EDITION BY THE SAME AUTHOR NOVELS A Man from the North Anna of the Five Towns Leonora A Great Man Sacred and Profane Love Whom God hath Joined Buried Alive The Old Wives' Tale The Glimpse Helen with the High Hand Clayhanger Hilda Lessways These Twain The Card The Regent The Price of Love The Lion's Share The Pretty Lady FANTASIAS The Ghost The Grand Babylon Hotel The Gates of Wrath Teresa of Watling Street The Loot of Cities The City of Pleasure SHORT STORIES Tales of the Five Towns The Grim Smile of the Five Towns The Matador of the Five Towns BELLES-LETTRES Journalism for Women Fame and Fiction How to become an Author The Truth about an Author How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day Mental Efficiency The Human Machine Literary Taste Those United States Paris Nights Friendship and Happiness Married Life Liberty Over There The Author's Craft Books and Persons Self and Self-Management DRAMA Polite Farces Cupid and Common Sense What the Public Wants The Honeymoon The Great Adventure The Title Judith Milestones (in collaboration with EDWARD KNOBLOCK) (In collaboration with EDEN PHILLPOTTS) The Sinews of War: A Romance The Statue: A Romance THE ROLL-CALL BY ARNOLD BENNETT THIRD EDITION _LONDON: HUTCHINSON & CO. PATERNOSTER ROW_ NOTE This novel was written before "The Pretty Lady", and is the first of the author's war-novels. A.B. CONTENTS PART I CHAP. I. THE NEW LODGING II. MARGUERITE III. THE CHARWOMAN IV. THE LUNCHEON V. THE TEA VI. THE DINNER VII. THE RUPTURE VIII. INSPIRATION IX. COMPETITION PART II I. THE TRIUMPH II. THE ROLL-CALL III. IN THE MACHINE THE ROLL-CALL PART I CHAPTER I THE NEW LODGING I In the pupils' room of the offices of Lucas & Enwright, architects, Russell Square, Bloomsbury, George Edwin Cannon, an articled pupil, leaned over a large drawing-board and looked up at Mr. Enwright, the head of the firm, who with cigarette and stick was on his way out after what he called a good day's work. It was past six o'clock on an evening in early July 1901. To George's right was an open door leading to the principals' room, and to his left another open door leading to more rooms and to the staircase. The lofty chambers were full of lassitude; but round about George, who was working late, there floated the tonic vapour of conscious virtue. Haim, the factotum, could be seen and heard moving in his cubicle which guarded the offices from the stairs. In the rooms shortly to be deserted and locked up, and in the decline of the day, the three men were drawn together like survivors. "I gather you're going to change your abode," said Mr. Enwright, having stopped. "Did Mr. Orgreave tell you, then?" George asked. "Well, he didn't exactly tell me...."