[Stormmee]

to eat from birth to death. Half of them
hadn't even boots on their feet. They worked twelve hours a day, they left
school at nine, they slept ten in a room. And at the same time there were a
very few people, only a few thousands -- the capitalists, they were called
-- who were rich and powerful. They owned everything that there was to own.
They lived in great gorgeous houses with thirty servants, they rode about
in motor-cars and four-horse carriages, they drank champagne, they wore top
hats--'
The old man brightened suddenly.
'Top 'ats!' he said. 'Funny you should mention 'em. The same thing
come into my 'ead only yesterday, I dono why. I was jest thinking, I ain't
seen a top 'at in years. Gorn right out, they 'ave. The last time I wore
one was at my sister-in-law's funeral. And that was -- well, I couldn't
give you the date, but it must'a been fifty years ago. Of course it was
only 'ired for the occasion, you understand.'
'It isn't very important about the top hats,' said Winston patiently.
'The point is, these capitalists -- they and a few lawyers and priests and
so forth who lived on them -- were the lords of the earth. Everything
existed for their benefit. You -- the ordinary people, the workers -- were
their slaves. They could do what they liked with you. They could ship you
off to Canada like cattle. They could sleep with your daughters if they
chose. They could order you to be flogged with something called a cat-o'-
nine tails. You had to take your cap off when you passed them. Every
capitalist went about with a gang of lackeys who--'
The old man brightened again.
'Lackeys!' he said. 'Now there's a word I ain't 'eard since ever so
long. Lackeys! That reg'lar takes me back, that does. I recollect oh,
donkey's years ago -- I used to sometimes go to 'Yde Park of a Sunday
afternoon to 'ear the blokes making speeches. Salvation Army, Roman
Ca