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One¡¡minute¡¡to¡¡ten¡£

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Just¡¡as¡¡he¡¡was¡¡about¡¡to¡¡get¡¡up¡¡a¡¡harsh¡¡voice¡¡behind¡¡him¡¡said£º

¡®How¡¡much¡¡longer¡¡are¡¡you¡¡going¡¡to¡¡sit¡¡there£¿'

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Crimson¡¡with¡¡shame¡¡and¡¡confusion£»¡¡the¡¡boy¡¡made¡¡no¡¡reply¡£

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¡®You¡¡know£»¡¡that's¡¡not¡¡the¡¡way¡¡to¡¡get¡¡on¡¡in¡¡life£»¡¡my¡¡boy£»'¡¡observed¡¡Sweater¡¡lifting¡¡his¡¡forefinger¡¡and¡¡shaking¡¡his¡¡fat¡¡head¡¡reproachfully¡£

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This¡¡was¡¡quite¡¡true¡£¡¡¡¡Rushton¡¡was¡¡not¡¡merely¡¡angry£»¡¡but¡¡astonished¡¡at¡¡the¡¡audacity¡¡of¡¡the¡¡boy¡£¡¡¡¡That¡¡anyone¡¡in¡¡his¡¡employment¡¡should¡¡dare¡¡to¡¡have¡¡the¡¡impertinence¡¡to¡¡sit¡¡down¡¡in¡¡his¡¡time¡¡was¡¡incredible¡£

The¡¡boy¡¡lifted¡¡the¡¡handle¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cart¡¡and¡¡once¡¡more¡¡began¡¡to¡¡push¡¡it¡¡up¡¡the¡¡hill¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡seemed¡¡heavier¡¡now¡¡that¡¡ever£»¡¡but¡¡he¡¡managed¡¡to¡¡get¡¡on¡¡somehow¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡kept¡¡glancing¡¡back¡¡after¡¡Rushton¡¡and¡¡Sweater£»¡¡who¡¡presently¡¡turned¡¡a¡¡corner¡¡and¡¡were¡¡lost¡¡to¡¡view£º¡¡then¡¡he¡¡ran¡¡the¡¡cart¡¡to¡¡the¡¡kerb¡¡again¡¡to¡¡have¡¡a¡¡breathe¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡couldn't¡¡have¡¡kept¡¡up¡¡much¡¡further¡¡without¡¡a¡¡spell¡¡even¡¡if¡¡they¡¡had¡¡still¡¡been¡¡watching¡¡him£»¡¡but¡¡he¡¡didn't¡¡rest¡¡for¡¡more¡¡than¡¡about¡¡half¡¡a¡¡minute¡¡this¡¡time£»¡¡because¡¡he¡¡was¡¡afraid¡¡they¡¡might¡¡be¡¡peeping¡¡round¡¡the¡¡corner¡¡at¡¡him¡£

After¡¡this¡¡he¡¡gave¡¡up¡¡the¡¡lamp¡­post¡¡system¡¡and¡¡halted¡¡for¡¡a¡¡minute¡¡or¡¡so¡¡at¡¡regular¡¡short¡¡intervals¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡this¡¡way£»¡¡he¡¡at¡¡length¡¡reached¡¡the¡¡top¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hill£»¡¡and¡¡with¡¡a¡¡sigh¡¡of¡¡relief¡¡congratulated¡¡himself¡¡that¡¡the¡¡journey¡¡was¡¡practically¡¡over¡£

Just¡¡before¡¡he¡¡arrived¡¡at¡¡the¡¡gate¡¡of¡¡the¡¡house£»¡¡he¡¡saw¡¡Hunter¡¡sneak¡¡out¡¡and¡¡mount¡¡his¡¡bicycle¡¡and¡¡ride¡¡away¡£¡¡¡¡Bert¡¡wheeled¡¡his¡¡cart¡¡up¡¡to¡¡the¡¡front¡¡door¡¡and¡¡began¡¡carrying¡¡in¡¡the¡¡things¡£¡¡¡¡Whilst¡¡thus¡¡engaged¡¡he¡¡noticed¡¡Philpot¡¡peeping¡¡cautiously¡¡over¡¡the¡¡banisters¡¡of¡¡the¡¡staircase£»¡¡and¡¡called¡¡out¡¡to¡¡him£º

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¡®Did¡¡yer¡¡see¡¡Pontius¡¡Pilate¡¡anywheres¡¡outside£¿'

¡®'E¡¡went¡¡away¡¡on¡¡'is¡¡bike¡¡just¡¡as¡¡I¡¡come¡¡in¡¡at¡¡the¡¡gate¡£'

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¡®Yes¡£¡¡¡¡No¡¡doubt¡¡that's¡¡what¡¡will¡¡be¡¡done£»'¡¡replied¡¡Newman£»¡¡and¡¡added¡¡with¡¡a¡¡mirthless¡¡laugh£º

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How¡¡far¡¡their¡¡conjectures¡¡were¡¡fulfilled¡¡will¡¡appear¡¡later¡£

Shortly¡¡after¡¡Bert¡¡was¡¡gone¡¡it¡¡became¡¡so¡¡dark¡¡that¡¡it¡¡was¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡light¡¡the¡¡candles£»¡¡and¡¡Philpot¡¡remarked¡¡that¡¡although¡¡he¡¡hated¡¡working¡¡under¡¡such¡¡conditions£»¡¡yet¡¡he¡¡was¡¡always¡¡glad¡¡when¡¡lighting¡¡up¡¡time¡¡came£»¡¡because¡¡then¡¡knocking¡¡off¡¡time¡¡was¡¡not¡¡very¡¡far¡¡behind¡£

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¡®You¡¡can¡¡call¡¡at¡¡the¡¡office¡¡tonight¡¡as¡¡you¡¡go¡¡home¡£'

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¡®What¡¡for£¿'¡¡he¡¡ejaculated¡¡at¡¡length¡£¡¡¡¡¡®What's¡¡the¡¡matter£¿'

¡®You'll¡¡find¡¡out¡¡what¡¡you're¡¡wanted¡¡for¡¡when¡¡you¡¡get¡¡there£»'¡¡returned¡¡Hunter¡¡as¡¡he¡¡went¡¡out¡¡of¡¡the¡¡room¡¡and¡¡away¡¡from¡¡the¡¡house¡£

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Everyone¡¡joined¡¡in¡¡the¡¡outburst¡¡of¡¡indignant¡¡protest¡£¡¡¡¡Everyone£»¡¡that¡¡is£»¡¡except¡¡Crass¡¡and¡¡Slyme¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡then¡¡they¡¡were¡¡not¡¡exactly¡¡in¡¡the¡¡kitchen£º¡¡they¡¡were¡¡out¡¡in¡¡the¡¡scullery¡¡putting¡¡their¡¡things¡¡away£»¡¡and¡¡so¡¡it¡¡happened¡¡that¡¡they¡¡said¡¡nothing£»¡¡although¡¡they¡¡exchanged¡¡significant¡¡looks¡£

Owen¡¡had¡¡by¡¡this¡¡time¡¡recovered¡¡his¡¡self¡­possession¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡collected

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