the ragged trousered philanthropists-第122章

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‘I'm　very　glad　you　let　me　know　about　the　boy　working　in　that　paint…shop；'　he　observed　after　a　few　preliminary　remarks。　　‘I　can　assure　you　as　I　don't　want　the　lad　to　be　uncomfortable；　but　you　know　I　can't　attend　to　everything　myself。　　I'm　much　obliged　to　you　for　telling　me　about　it；　I　think　you　did　quite　right；　I　should　have　done　the　same　myself。'

Owen　did　not　know　what　to　reply；　but　Rushton　walked　off　without　waiting。。。



Chapter　52

'It's　a　Far；　Far　Better　Thing　that　I　do；　than　I　have　Ever　Done'


Although　Owen；　Easton　and　Crass　and　a　few　others　were　so　lucky　as　to　have　had　a　little　work　to　do　during　the　last　few　months；　the　majority　of　their　fellow　workmen　had　been　altogether　out　of　employment　most　of　the　time；　and　meanwhile　the　practical　business…men；　and　the　pretended　disciples　of　Christ　…　the　liars　and　hypocrites　who　professed　to　believe　that　all　men　are　brothers　and　God　their　Father　…　had　continued　to　enact　the　usual　farce　that　they　called　‘Dealing'　with　the　misery　that　surrounded　them　on　every　side。　　They　continued　to　organize　‘Rummage'　and　‘Jumble'　sales　and　bazaars；　and　to　distribute　their　rotten　cast…off　clothes　and　boots　and　their　broken　victuals　and　soup　to　such　of　the　Brethren　as　were　sufficiently　degraded　to　beg　for　them。　The　beautiful　Distress　Committee　was　also　in　full　operation；　over　a　thousand　Brethren　had　registered　themselves　on　its　books。　　Of　this　number　…　after　careful　investigation　…　the　committee　had　found　that　no　fewer　than　six　hundred　and　seventy…two　were　deserving　of　being　allowed　to　work　for　their　living。　　The　Committee　would　probably　have　given　these　six　hundred　and　seventy…two　the　necessary　permission；　but　it　was　somewhat　handicapped　by　the　fact　that　the　funds　at　its　disposal　were　only　sufficient　to　enable　that　number　of　Brethren　to　be　employed　for　about　three　days。　　However；　by　adopting　a　policy　of　temporizing；　delay；　and　general　artful　dodging；　the　Committee　managed　to　create　the　impression　that　they　were　Dealing　with　the　Problem。

If　it　had　not　been　for　a　cunning　device　invented　by　Brother　Rushton；　a　much　larger　number　of　the　Brethren　would　have　succeeded　in　registering　themselves　as　unemployed　on　the　books　of　the　Committee。　　In　previous　years　it　had　been　the　practice　to　issue　an　application　form　called　a　‘Record　Paper'　to　any　Brother　who　asked　for　one；　and　the　Brother　returned　it　after　filling　it　in　himself。　　At　a　secret　meeting　of　the　Committee　Rushton　proposed　…　amid　laughter　and　applause；　it　was　such　a　good　joke　…　a　new　and　better　way；　calculated　to　keep　down　the　number　of　applicants。　　The　result　of　this　innovation　was　that　no　more　forms　were　issued；　but　the　applicants　for　work　were　admitted　into　the　office　one　at　a　time；　and　were　there　examined　by　a　junior　clerk；　somewhat　after　the　manner　of　a　French　Juge　d'Instruction　interrogating　a　criminal；　the　clerk　filling　in　the　form　according　to　the　replies　of　the　culprit。

‘What's　your　name？'

‘Where　do　you　live？'

‘How　long　have　you　been　living　there？'

‘Where　did　you　live　before　you　went　there？'

‘How　long　were　you　living　at　that　place？'

‘Why　did　you　move？'

‘Did　you　owe　any　rent　when　you　left？'

‘What　was　your　previous　address？'

‘How　old　are　you？　　When　was　your　last　birthday？'

‘What　is　your　Trade；　Calling；　Employment；　or　Occupation？'

‘Are　you　Married　or　single　or　a　Widower　or　what？'

‘How　many　children　have　you？　　How　many　boys？　　How　many　girls？　　Do　they　go　to　work？　　What　do　they　earn？'


‘What　kind　of　a　house　do　you　live　in？　　How　many　rooms　are　there？'

‘How　much　rent　do　you　owe？'

‘Who　was　your　last　employer？　　What　was　the　foreman's　name？　　How　long　did　you　work　there？　　What　kind　of　work　did　you　do？　　Why　did　you　leave？'

‘What　have　you　been　doing　for　the　last　five　years？　　What　kind　of　work；　how　many　hours　a　day？　　What　wages　did　you　get？'

‘Give　the　full　names　and　addresses　of　all　the　different　employers　you　have　worked　for　during　the　last　five　years；　and　the　reasons　why　you　left　them？'

‘Give　the　names　of　all　the　foremen　you　have　worked　under　during　the　last　five　years？'

‘Does　your　wife　earn　anything？　　How　much？'

‘Do　you　get　any　money　from　any　Club　or　Society；　or　from　any　Charity；　or　from　any　other　source？'

‘Have　you　ever　received　Poor　Relief？'

‘Have　you　ever　worked　for　a　Distress　Committee　before？'

‘Have　you　ever　done　any　other　kinds　of　work　than　those　you　have　mentioned？　　Do　you　think　you　would　be　fit　for　any　other　kind'

‘Have　you　any　references？'　and　so　on　and　so　forth。

When　the　criminal　had　answered　all　the　questions；　and　when　his　answers　had　all　been　duly　written　down；　he　was　informed　that　a　member　of　the　Committee；　or　an　Authorized　Officer；　or　some　Other　Person；　would　in　due　course　visit　his　home　and　make　inquiries　about　him；　after　which　the　Authorized　Officer　or　Other　Person　would　make　a　report　to　the　Committee；　who　would　consider　it　at　their　next　meeting。

As　the　interrogation　of　each　criminal　occupied　about　half　an　hour；　to　say　nothing　of　the　time　he　was　kept　waiting；　it　will　be　seen　that　as　a　means　of　keeping　down　the　number　of　registered　unemployed　the　idea　worked　splendidly。

When　Rushton　introduced　this　new　rule　it　was　carried　unanimously；　Dr　Weakling　being　the　only　dissentient；　but　of　course　he　…　as　Brother　Grinder　remarked　…　was　always　opposed　to　any　sensible　proposal。　　There　was　one　consolation；　however；　Grinder　added；　they　was　not　likely　to　be　pestered　with　'im　much　longer；　the　first　of　November　was　coming　and　if　he　…　Grinder　…　knowed　anything　of　working　men　they　was　sure　to　give　Weakling　the　dirty　kick　out　directly　they　got　the　chance。

A　few　days　afterwards　the　result　of　the　municipal　election　justified　Brother　Grinder's　prognostications；　for　the　working　men　voters　of　Dr　Weakling's　ward　did　give　him　the　dirty　kick　out：　but　Rushton；　Didlum；　Grinder　and　several　other　members　of　the　band　were　triumphantly　returned　with　increased　majorities。

Mr　Dauber；　of　Dauber　and　Botchit；　had　already　been　elected　a　Guardian　of　the　Poor。

During　all　this　time　Hunter；　who　looked　more　worried　and　miserable　as　the　dreary　weeks　went　by；　was　occupied　every　day　in　supervising　what　work　was　being　done　and　in　running　about　seeking　for　more。　　Nearly　every　night　he　remained　at　the　office　until　a　late　hour；　poring　over　specifications　and　making　out　estimates。　　The　police　had　become　so　accustomed　to　seeing　the　light　in　the　office　that　as　a　rule　they　took　no　notice　of　it；　but　one　Thursday　night　…　exactly　one　week　after　the　scene　between　Owen　and　Rushton　about　the　boy　…　the　constable　on　the　beat　observed　the　light　there　much　later　than　usual。　　At　first　he　paid　no　particular　attention　to　the　fact；　but　when　night　merged　into　morning　and　the　light　still　remained；　his　curiosity　was　aroused。

He　knocked　at　the　door；　but　no　one　came　in　answer；　and　no　sound　disturbed　the　deathlike　stillness　that　reigned　within。　The　door　was　locked；　but　he　was　not　able　to　tell　whether　it　had　been　closed　from　the　inside　or　outside；　because　it　had　a　spring　latch。　　The　office　window　was　low　down；　but　it　was　not　possible　to　see　in　because　the　back　of　the　glass　had　been　painted。

The　constable　thought　that　the　most　probable　explanation　of　the　mystery　was　that　whoever　had　been　there　earlier　in　the　evening　had　forgotten　to　turn　out　the　light　when　they　went　away；　it　was　not　likely　that　thieves　or　anyone　who　had　no　business　to　be　there　would　advertise　their　presence　by　lighting　the　gas。

He　made　a　note　of　the　incident　in　his　pocket…book　and　was　about　to　resume　his　beat　when　he　was　joined　by　his　inspector。　　The　latter　agreed　that　the　conclusion　arrived　at　by　the　constable　was　probably　the　right　one　and　they　were　about　to　pass　on　when　the　inspector　noticed　a　small　speck　of　light　shining　through　the　lower　part　of　the　painted　window；　where　a　small　piece　of　the　paint　had　either　been　scratched　or　had　shelled　off　the　glass。　　He　knelt　down　and　found　that　it　was　possible　to　get　a　view　of　the　interior　of　the　office；　and　as　he　peered　through　he　gave　a　low　exclamation。　　When　he　made　way　for　his　subordinate　to　look　in　his　turn；　the　constable　was　with　some　difficulty　able　to　distinguish　the　figure　of　a　man　lying　prone　upon　the　floor。

It　was　an　easy　task　for　the　burly　policeman　to　force　open　the　office　door：　a　single　push　of　his　shoulder　wrenched　it　from　its　fastenings　and　as　it　flew　back　the　socket　of　the　lock　fell　with　a　splash　into　a　great　pool　of　blood　that　had　accumulated　against　the　threshold；　flowing　from　the　place　where　Hunter　was　lying　on　his　back；　his　arms　extended　and　his　head　nearly　severed　from　his　body。　　On　the　floor；　close　to　his　right　hand；　was　an　open　razor。　　An　overturned　chair　lay　on　the　floor　by　the　side　of　the　table　where　he　usually　worked；　the　table　itself　being　littered　with　papers　and　drenched　with　blood。

Within　the　next　few　days　Crass　resumed　the　role　he　had　played　when　Hunter　was　ill　during　the　summer；　taking　charge　of　the　work　and　generally　doing　his　best　to　fill　the　dead　man's　place；　although　…　as　he　confided　to　certain　of　his　cronies　in　the　bar　of　the　Cricketers　…　he　had　no　intention　of　allowing　Rushton　to　do　the　same　as　Hunter　had　done。　　One　of　his　first　jobs　…　on　the　morning　after　the　discovery　of　the　body　…　was　to　go　with　Mr　Rushton　to　look　over　a　house　where　some　work　was　to　be　done　for　which　an　estimate　had　to　be　given。　　It　was　this　estimate　that　Hunter　had　been　trying　to　make　out　the　previous　evening　in　the　office；　for　they　found　that　the　papers　on　his　table　were　covered　with　figures　and　writing　relating　to　this　work。　　These　papers　justified　the　subsequent　verdict　of　the　Coroner's　jury　that　Hunter　committed　suicide　in　a　fit　of　temporary　insanity；　for　they　were　covered　with　a　lot　of　meaningless　scribbling；　the　words　wrongly　spelt　and　having　no　intelligible　connection　with　each　other。　　There　was　one　sum　that　he　had　evidently　tried　repeatedly　to　do　correctly；　but　which　came　wrong　in　a　different　way　every　time。　　The　fact　that　he　had　the　razor　in　his　possession　seemed　to　point　to　his　having　premeditated　the　act；　but　this　was　accounted　for　at　the　inquest　by　the　evidence　of　the　last　person　who　saw　him　alive；　a　hairdresser；　who　stated　that　Hunter　had　left　the　razor　with　him　to　be　sharpened　a　few　days　previously　and　that　he　had　called　for　it　on　the　evening　of　the　tragedy。　　He　had　ground　this　razor　for　Mr　Hunter　several　times　before。

Crass　took　charge　of　all　the　arrangements　for　the　funeral。　　He　bought　a　new　second…hand　pair　of　black　trousers　at　a　cast…off　clothing　shop　in　honour　of　the　occasion；　and　discarded　his　own　low…crowned　silk　hat　…　which　was　getting　rather　shabby　…　in　favour　of　Hunter's　tall　one；　which　he　found　in　the　office　and　annexed　without　hesitation　or　scruple。　　It　was　rather　large　for　him；　but　he　put　some　folded　strips　of　paper　inside　the　leather　lining。　　Crass　was　a　proud　man　as　he　walked　in　Hunter's　place　at　the　head　of　the　procession；　trying　to　look　solemn；　but　with　a　half…smile　on　his　fat；　pasty　face；　destitute　of　colour　except　one　spot　on　his　chin　near　his　underlip；　where　there　was　a　small　patch　of　inflammation　about　the　size　of　a　threepenny　piece。　This　spot　had　been　there　for　a　very　long　time。　　At　first　…　as　well　as　he　could　remember　…　it　was　only　a　small　pimple；　but　it　had　grown　larger；　with　something　the　appearance　of　scurvy。　　Crass　attributed　its　continuation　to　the　cold　havi