the ragged trousered philanthropists-第110章

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e　corpse。

This　matter　having　been　arranged；　Hunter　departed　to　order　a　new　rope；　and　shortly　afterwards　Crass　…　having　made　sure　that　everyone　would　have　plenty　to　do　while　he　was　gone　…　quietly　slipped　away　to　go　to　see　Philpot's　landlady。　　He　went　off　so　secretly　that　the　men　did　not　know　that　he　had　been　away　at　all　until　they　saw　him　come　back　just　before　twelve　o'clock。

The　new　rope　was　brought　to　the　house　about　one　o'clock　and　this　time　the　ladder　was　raised　without　any　mishap。　　Harlow　was　put　on　to　paint　the　gable；　and　he　felt　so　nervous　that　he　was　allowed　to　have　Sawkins　to　stand　by　and　hold　the　ladder　all　the　time。　　Everyone　felt　nervous　that　afternoon；　and　they　all　went　about　their　work　in　an　unusually　careful　manner。

When　Bert　had　finished　limewashing　the　cellar；　Crass　set　him　to　work　outside；　painting　the　gate　of　the　side　entrance。　　While　the　boy　was　thus　occupied　he　was　accosted　by　a　solemn…looking　man　who　asked　him　about　the　accident。　　The　solemn　stranger　was　very　sympathetic　and　inquired　what　was　the　name　of　the　man　who　had　been　killed；　and　whether　he　was　married。　　Bert　informed　him　that　Philpot　was　a　widower；　and　that　he　had　no　children。

‘Ah；　well；　that's　so　much　the　better；　isn't　it？'　said　the　stranger　shaking　his　head　mournfully。　　‘It's　a　dreadful　thing；　you　know；　when　there's　children　left　unprovided　for。　　You　don't　happen　to　know　where　he　lived；　do　you？'

‘Yes；'　said　Bert；　mentioning　the　address　and　beginning　to　wonder　what　the　solemn　man　wanted　to　know　for；　and　why　he　appeared　to　be　so　sorry　for　Philpot　since　it　was　quite　evident　that　he　had　never　known　him。

‘Thanks　very　much；'　said　the　man；　pulling　out　his　pocket…book　and　making　a　note　of　it。　　‘Thanks　very　much　indeed。　　Good　afternoon；'　and　he　hurried　off。

‘Good　afternoon；　sir；'　said　Bert　and　he　turned　to　resume　his　work。　Crass　came　along　the　garden　just　as　the　mysterious　stranger　was　disappearing　round　the　corner。

‘What　did　HE　want？'　said　Crass；　who　had　seen　the　man　talking　to　Bert。

‘I　don't　know　exactly；　he　was　asking　about　the　accident；　and　whether　Joe　left　any　children；　and　where　he　lived。　　He　must　be　a　very　decent　sort　of　chap；　I　should　think。　　He　seems　quite　sorry　about　it。'

‘Oh；　he　does；　does　he？'　said　Crass；　with　a　peculiar　expression。　‘Don't　you　know　who　he　is？'

‘No；'　replied　the　boy；　‘but　I　thought　p'raps　he　was　a　reporter　of　some　paper。

‘'E　ain't　no　reporter：　that's　old　Snatchum　the　undertaker。　　'E's　smellin'　round　after　a　job；　but　'e's　out　of　it　this　time；　smart　as　'e　thinks　'e　is。'

Barrington　came　back　the　next　morning　to　work；　and　at　breakfast…time　there　was　a　lot　of　talk　about　the　accident。　　They　said　that　it　was　all　very　well　for　Hunter　to　talk　like　that　about　the　rope；　but　he　had　known　for　a　long　time　that　it　was　nearly　worn　out。　　Newman　said　that　only　about　three　weeks　previously　when　they　were　raising　a　ladder　at　another　job　he　had　shown　the　rope　to　him；　and　Misery　had　replied　that　there　was　nothing　wrong　with　it。　　Several　others　besides　Newman　claimed　to　have　mentioned　the　matter　to　Hunter；　and　each　of　them　said　he　had　received　the　same　sort　of　reply。　　But　when　Barrington　suggested　that　they　should　attend　the　inquest　and　give　evidence　to　that　effect；　they　all　became　suddenly　silent　and　in　a　conversation　Barrington　afterwards　had　with　Newman　the　latter　pointed　out　that　if　he　were　to　do　so；　it　would　do　no　good　to　Philpot。　　It　would　not　bring　him　back　but　it　would　be　sure　to　do　himself　a　lot　of　harm。　　He　would　never　get　another　job　at　Rushton's　and　probably　many　of　the　other　employers　would　‘mark　him'　as　well。

‘So　if　YOU　say　anything　about　it；'　concluded　Newman；　‘don't　bring　my　name　into　it。'

Barrington　was　constrained　to　admit　that　all　things　considered　it　was　right　for　Newman　to　mind　his　own　business。　　He　felt　that　it　would　not　be　fair　to　urge　him　or　anyone　else　to　do　or　say　anything　that　would　injure　themselves。

Misery　came　to　the　house　about　eleven　o'clock　and　informed　several　of　the　hands　that　as　work　was　very　slack　they　would　get　their　back　day　at　pay　time。　　He　said　that　the　firm　had　tendered　for　one　or　two　jobs；　so　they　could　call　round　about　Wednesday　and　perhaps　he　might　then　be　able　to　give　some　of　them　another　start；　Barrington　was　not　one　of　those　who　were　‘stood　off'；　although　he　had　expected　to　be　on　account　of　the　speech　he　had　made　at　the　Beano；　and　everyone　said　that　he　would　have　got　the　push　sure　enough　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　accident。

Before　he　went　away；　Nimrod　instructed　Owen　and　Crass　to　go　to　the　yard　at　once：　they　would　there　find　Payne　the　carpenter；　who　was　making　Philpot's　coffin；　which　would　be　ready　for　Crass　to　varnish　by　the　time　they　got　there。

Misery　told　Owen　that　he　had　left　the　coffin　plate　and　the　instructions　with　Payne　and　added　that　he　was　not　to　take　too　much　time　over　the　writing；　because　it　was　a　very　cheap　job。

When　they　arrived　at　the　yard；　Payne　was　just　finishing　the　coffin；　which　was　of　elm。　　All　that　remained　to　be　done　to　it　was　the　pitching　of　the　joints　inside　and　Payne　was　in　the　act　of　lifting　the　pot　of　boiling　pitch　off　the　fire　to　do　this。

As　it　was　such　a　cheap　job；　there　was　no　time　to　polish　it　properly；　so　Crass　proceeded　to　give　it　a　couple　of　coats　of　spirit　varnish；　and　while　he　was　doing　this　Owen　wrote　the　plate；　which　was　made　of　very　thin　zinc　lacquered　over　to　make　it　look　like　brass：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOSEPH　PHILPOT　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Died　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　September　1st　19　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aged　56　years。

The　inquest　was　held　on　the　following　Monday　morning；　and　as　both　Rushton　and　Hunter　thought　it　possible　that　Barrington　might　attempt　to　impute　some　blame　to　them；　they　had　worked　the　oracle　and　had　contrived　to　have　several　friends　of　their　own　put　on　the　jury。　　There　was；　however；　no　need　for　their　alarm；　because　Barrington　could　not　say　that　he　had　himself　noticed；　or　called　Hunter's　attention　to　the　state　of　the　rope；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　mention　the　names　of　the　others　without　their　permission。　　The　evidence　of　Crass　and　the　other　men　who　were　called　was　to　the　effect　that　it　was　a　pure　accident。　None　of　them　had　noticed　that　the　rope　was　unsound。　　Hunter　also　swore　that　he　did　not　know　of　it　…　none　of　the　men　had　ever　called　his　attention　to　it；　if　they　had　done　so　he　would　have　procured　a　new　one　immediately。

Philpot's　landlady　and　Mr　Rushton　were　also　called　as　witnesses；　and　the　end　was　that　the　jury　returned　a　verdict　of　accidental　death；　and　added　that　they　did　not　think　any　blame　attached　to　anyone。

The　coroner　discharged　the　jury；　and　as　they　and　the　witnesses　passed　out　of　the　room；　Hunter　followed　Rushton　outside；　with　the　hope　of　being　honoured　by　a　little　conversation　with　him　on　the　satisfactory　issue　of　the　case；　but　Rushton　went　off　without　taking　any　notice　of　him；　so　Hunter　returned　to　the　room　where　the　court　had　been　held　to　get　the　coroner's　certificate　authorizing　the　interment　of　the　body。　This　document　is　usually　handed　to　the　friends　of　the　deceased　or　to　the　undertaker　acting　for　them。　　When　Hunter　got　back　to　the　room　he　found　that　during　his　absence　the　coroner　had　given　it　to　Philpot's　landlady；　who　had　taken　it　with　her。　　He　accordingly　hastened　outside　again　to　ask　her　for　it；　but　the　woman　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。

Crass　and　the　other　men　were　also　gone；　they　had　hurried　off　to　return　to　work；　and　after　a　moment's　hesitation　Hunter　decided　that　it　did　not　matter　much　about　the　certificate。　　Crass　had　arranged　the　business　with　the　landlady　and　he　could　get　the　paper　from　her　later　on。　　Having　come　to　this　conclusion；　he　dismissed　the　subject　from　his　mind：　he　had　several　prices　to　work　out　that　afternoon　…　estimates　from　some　jobs　the　firm　was　going　to　tender　for。

That　evening；　after　having　been　home　to　tea；　Crass　and　Sawkins　met　by　appointment　at　the　carpenter's　shop　to　take　the　coffin　to　the　mortuary；　where　Misery　had　arranged　to　meet　them　at　half　past　eight　o'clock。　　Hunter's　plan　was　to　have　the　funeral　take　place　from　the　mortuary；　which　was　only　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　walk　from　the　yard；　so　tonight　they　were　just　going　to　lift　in　the　body　and　get　the　lid　screwed　down。

It　was　blowing　hard　and　raining　heavily　when　Crass　and　Sawkins　set　out；　carrying　the　coffin　…　covered　with　a　black　cloth　…　on　their　shoulders。　　They　also　took　a　small　pair　of　tressels　for　the　coffin　to　stand　on。　　Crass　carried　one　of　these　slung　over　his　arm　and　Sawkins　the　other。

On　their　way　they　had　to　pass　the　‘Cricketers'　and　the　place　looked　so　inviting　that　they　decided　to　stop　and　have　a　drink　…　just　to　keep　the　damp　out；　and　as　they　could　not　very　well　take　the　coffin　inside　with　them；　they　stood　it　up　against　the　brick　wall　a　little　way　from　the　side　of　the　door：　as　Crass　remarked　with　a　laugh；　there　was　not　much　danger　of　anyone　pinching　it。　　The　Old　Dear　served　them　and　just　as　they　finished　drinking　the　two　half…pints　there　was　a　loud　crash　outside　and　Crass　and　Sawkins　rushed　out　and　found　that　the　coffin　had　blown　down　and　was　lying　bottom　upwards　across　the　pavement；　while　the　black　cloth　that　had　been　wrapped　round　it　was　out　in　the　middle　of　the　muddy　road。　　Having　recovered　this；　they　shook　as　much　of　the　dirt　off　as　they　could；　and　having　wrapped　it　round　the　coffin　again　they　resumed　their　journey　to　the　mortuary；　where　they　found　Hunter　waiting　for　them；　engaged　in　earnest　conversation　with　the　keeper。　　The　electric　light　was　switched　on；　and　as　Crass　and　Sawkins　came　in　they　saw　that　the　marble　slab　was　empty。

The　corpse　was　gone。

‘Snatchum　came　this　afternoon　with　a　hand…truck　and　a　corfin；'　explained　the　keeper。　　‘I　was　out　at　the　time；　and　the　missis　thought　it　was　all　right　so　she　let　him　have　the　key。'

Hunter　and　Crass　looked　blankly　at　each　other。

‘Well；　this　takes　the　biskit！'　said　the　latter　as　soon　as　he　could　speak。

‘I　thought　you　said　you　had　settled　everything　all　right　with　the　old　woman？'　said　Hunter。

‘So　I　did；'　replied　Crass。　　‘I　seen　'er　on　Friday；　and　I　told　'er　to　leave　it　all　to　me　to　attend　to；　and　she　said　she　would。　　I　told　'er　that　Philpot　said　to　me　that　if　ever　anything　'appened　to　'im　I　was　to　take　charge　of　everything　for　'er；　because　I　was　'is　best　friend。　　And　I　told　'er　we'd　do　it　as　cheap　as　possible。'

‘Well；　it　seems　to　me　as　you've　bungled　it　somehow；'　said　Nimrod；　gloomily。　　‘I　ought　to　have　gone　and　seen　'er　myself；　I　was　afraid　you'd　make　a　mess　of　it；'　he　added　in　a　wailing　tone。　　‘It's　always　the　same；　everything　that　I　don't　attend　to　myself　goes　wrong。'

An　uncomfortable　silence　fell。　　Crass　thought　that　the　principal　piece　of　bungling　in　this　affair　was　Hunter's　failure　to　secure　possession　of　the　Coroner's　certificate　after　the　inquest；　but　he　was　afraid　to　say　so。

Outside；　the　rain　was　still　falling　and　drove　in　through　the　partly　open　door；　causing　the　atmosphere　of　the　mortuary　to　be　even　more　than　usually　cold　and　damp。　　The　empty　coffin　had　been　reared　against　one　of　the　walls　and　the　marble　slab　was　still　stained　with　blood；　for　the　keeper　had　not　had　time　to　clean　it　since　the　body　had　been　removed。

‘I　can　see　'ow　it's　been　worked；'　said　Crass　at　last。　　‘There's　one　of　the　members　of　the　club　who　works　for　Snatchum；　and　'e's　took