From the hospital he went to his mother's house; he had not
yet had time to let her know of anything. But his main business lay
in Clerkenwell and in various parts of the East End, wherever he
could see his fellow-agitators. In hot haste he wrote an
announcement of a meeting on Clerkenwell Green for Sunday afternoon,
and had thousands of copies printed on slips; by evening these were
scattered throughout his 'parishes.' He found that the calumny
affecting him was already widely known; several members of his
committee met him with black looks. Here and there an ironical
question was put to him about his sister's health. With the
knowledge that Alice might be dying or dead, he could scarcely find
words of reply. His mood changed from fear and indignation to a grim
fury; within a few hours he made many resolute enemies by his
reckless vehemence and vituperation.
The evening papers brought him a piece of intelligence which would
have rejoiced him but for something with which it was coupled.
Delancey, _alias_ Rodman, _alias_ Williamson, was arrested; he had
been caught in Hamburg. The telegram added that he talked freely and
had implicated a number of persons--among them a certain Socialist
agitator, name not given. As Mutimer read this he fell for a moment
into blank despair.
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