the ragged trousered philanthropists-第49章

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form　or　shelf　at　one　end　of　the　shop　were　four　large　round　tanks　fitted　with　taps　and　labelled　‘Boiled　Oil'；　‘Turps'；　‘Linseed　Oil'；　‘Turps　Substitute'。　　The　lower　parts　of　the　walls　were　discoloured　with　moisture。　　The　atmosphere　was　cold　and　damp　and　foul　with　the　sickening　odours　of　the　poisonous　materials。

It　was　in　this　place　that　Bert　…　the　apprentice　…　spent　most　of　his　time；　cleaning　out　pots　and　pails；　during　slack　periods　when　there　were　no　jobs　going　on　outside。

In　the　middle　of　the　shop；　under　a　two…armed　gas　pendant；　was　another　table　or　bench；　also　thickly　coated　with　old；　dried　paint；　and　by　the　side　of　this　were　two　large　stands　on　which　were　hanging　up　to　dry　some　of　the　lathes　of　the　venetian　blinds　belonging　to　‘The　Cave'；　which　Crass　and　Slyme　were　painting　…　piecework　…　in　their　spare　time。　The　remainder　of　the　lathes　were　leaning　against　the　walls　or　piled　in　stacks　on　the　table。

Crass　shivered　with　cold　as　he　lit　the　two　gas…jets。　　‘Make　a　bit　of　a　fire；　Alf；　he　said；　‘while　I　gets　the　colour　ready。'

Slyme　went　outside　and　presently　returned　with　his　arms　full　of　old　wood；　which　he　smashed　up　and　threw　into　the　fireplace；　then　he　took　an　empty　paint…pot　and　filled　it　with　turpentine　from　the　big　tank　and　emptied　it　over　the　wood。　　Amongst　the　pots　on　the　mixing　bench　he　found　one　full　of　old　paint；　and　he　threw　this　over　the　wood　also；　and　in　a　few　minutes　he　had　made　a　roaring　fire。

Meantime；　Crass　had　prepared　the　paint　and　brushes　and　taken　down　the　lathes　from　the　drying　frames。　　The　two　men　now　proceeded　with　the　painting　of　the　blinds；　working　rapidly；　each　lathe　being　hung　on　the　wires　of　the　drying　frame　after　being　painted。　　They　talked　freely　as　they　worked；　having　no　fear　of　being　overheard　by　Rushton　or　Nimrod。　This　job　was　piecework；　so　it　didn't　matter　whether　they　talked　or　not。　　They　waxed　hilarious　over　Old　Latham's　discomfiture　and　wondered　what　he　would　say　if　he　could　see　them　now。　　Then　the　conversation　drifted　to　the　subject　of　the　private　characters　of　the　other　men　who　were　employed　by　Rushton　&　Co。；　and　an　impartial　listener　…　had　there　been　one　there　…　would　have　been　forced　to　come　to　the　same　conclusion　as　Crass　and　Slyme　did：　namely；　that　they　themselves　were　the　only　two　decent　fellows　on　the　firm。　　There　was　something　wrong　or　shady　about　everybody　else。　　That　bloke　Barrington；　for　instance　…　it　was　a　very　funny　business；　you　know；　for　a　chap　like　'im　to　be　workin'　as　a　labourer；　it　looked　very　suspicious。　　Nobody　knowed　exactly　who　'e　was　or　where　'e　come　from；　but　anyone　could　tell　'e'd　been　a　toff。　　It　was　very　certain　'e'd　never　bin　brought　up　to　work　for　'is　livin'。　　The　most　probable　explanation　was　that　'e'd　committed　some　crime　and　bin　disowned　by　'is　family　…　pinched　some　money；　or　forged　a　cheque　or　something　like　that。　　Then　there　was　that　Sawkins。　　He　was　no　class　whatever。　　It　was　a　well…known　fact　that　he　used　to　go　round　to　Misery's　house　nearly　every　night　to　tell　him　every　little　thing　that　had　happened　on　the　job　during　the　day！　　As　for　Payne；　the　foreman　carpenter；　the　man　was　a　perfect　fool：　he'd　find　out　the　difference　if　ever　he　got　the　sack　from　Rushton's　and　went　to　work　for　some　other　firm！　　He　didn't　understand　his　trade；　and　he　couldn't　make　a　coffin　properly　to　save　'is　life！　　Then　there　was　that　rotter　Owen；　there　was　a　bright　specimen　for　yer！　　An　Atheist！　didn't　believe　in　no　God　or　Devil　or　nothing　else。　　A　pretty　state　of　things　there　would　be　if　these　Socialists　could　have　their　own　way：　for　one　thing；　nobody　would　be　allowed　to　work　overtime！

Crass　and　Slyme　worked　and　talked　in　this　manner　till　ten　o'clock；　and　then　they　extinguished　the　fire　by　throwing　some　water　on　it　…　put　out　the　gas　and　locked　up　the　shop　and　the　yard；　dropping　the　key　of　the　latter　into　the　letter…box　at　Rushton's　office　on　their　way　home。

In　this　way　they　worked　at　the　blinds　nearly　every　night　for　three　weeks。



When　Saturday　arrived　the；　men　working　at　‘The　Cave'　were　again　surprised　that　nobody　was　sacked；　and　they　were　divided　in　opinion　as　to　the　reason；　some　thinking　that　Nimrod　was　determined　to　keep　them　all　on　till　the　job　was　finished；　so　as　to　get　it　done　as　quickly　as　possible；　and　others　boldly　asserting　the　truth　of　a　rumour　that　had　been　going　about　for　several　days　that　the　firm　had　another　big　job　in。　　Mr　Sweater　had　bought　another　house；　Rushton　had　to　do　it　up；　and　they　were　all　to　be　kept　on　to　start　this　other　work　as　soon　as　‘The　Cave'　was　finished。　　Crass　knew　no　more　than　anyone　else　and　he　maintained　a　discreet　silence；　but　the　fact　that　he　did　not　contradict　the　rumour　served　to　strengthen　it。　　The　only　foundation　that　existed　for　this　report　was　that　Rushton　and　Misery　had　been　seen　looking　over　the　garden　gate　of　a　large　empty　house　near　‘The　Cave'。　　But　although　it　had　such　an　insignificant　beginning；　the　rumour　had　grown　and　increased　in　detail　and　importance　day　by　day。　　That　very　morning　at　breakfast…time；　the　man　on　the　pail　had　announced　that　he　had　heard　on　the　very　best　authority　that　Mr　Sweater　had　sold　all　his　interest　in　the　great　business　that　bore　his　name　and　was　about　to　retire　into　private　life；　and　that　he　intended　to　buy　up　all　the　house　property　in　the　neighbourhood　of　‘The　Cave'。　　Another　individual　…　one　of　the　new　hands　…　said　that　he　had　heard　someone　else　…　in　a　public　house　…　say　that　Rushton　was　about　to　marry　one　of　Sweater's　daughters；　and　that　Sweater　intended　to　give　the　couple　a　house　to　live　in；　as　a　wedding　present：　but　the　fact　that　Rushton　was　already　married　and　the　father　of　four　children；　rather　knocked　the　bottom　out　of　this　story；　so　it　was　regretfully　dismissed。　　Whatever　the　reason；　the　fact　remained　that　nobody　had　been　discharged；　and　when　pay…time　arrived　they　set　out　for　the　office　in　high　spirits。

That　evening；　the　weather　being　fine；　Slyme　went　out　as　usual　to　his　open…air　meeting；　but　Easton　departed　from　HIS　usual　custom　of　rushing　off　to　the　‘Cricketers'　directly　he　had　had　his　tea；　having　on　this　occasion　promised　to　wait　for　Ruth　and　to　go　with　her　to　do　the　marketing。　　The　baby　was　left　at　home　alone；　asleep　in　the　cradle。

By　the　time　they　had　made　all　their　purchases　they　had　a　fairly　heavy　load。　　Easton　carried　the　string…bag　containing　the　potatoes　and　other　vegetables；　and　the　meat；　and　Ruth；　the　groceries。　　On　their　way　home；　they　had　to　pass　the　‘Cricketers'　and　just　before　they　reached　that　part　of　their　journey　they　met　Mr　and　Mrs　Crass；　who　were　also　out　marketing。　　They　both　insisted　on　Easton　and　Ruth　going　in　to　have　a　drink　with　them。　　Ruth　did　not　want　to　go；　but　she　allowed　herself　to　be　persuaded　for　she　could　see　that　Easton　was　beginning　to　get　angry　with　her　for　refusing。　　Crass　had　on　a　new　overcoat　and　a　new　hat；　with　dark　grey　trousers　and　yellow　boots；　and　a　‘stand…up'　collar　with　a　bright　blue　tie。　　His　wife　…　a　fat；　vulgar…looking；　well…preserved　woman　about　forty　…　was　arrayed　in　a　dark　red　‘motor'　costume；　with　hat　to　match。　　Both　Easton　and　Ruth　…　whose　best　clothes　had　all　been　pawned　to　raise　the　money　to　pay　the　poor　rate　…　felt　very　mean　and　shabby　before　them。

When　they　got　inside；　Crass　paid　for　the　first　round　of　drinks；　a　pint　of　Old　Six　for　himself；　the　same　for　Easton；　half　a　pint　for　Mrs　Easton　and　threepenny…worth　of　gin　for　Mrs　Crass。

The　Besotted　Wretch　was　there；　just　finishing　a　game　of　hooks　and　rings　with　the　Semi…drunk　…　who　had　called　round　on　the　day　after　he　was　thrown　out；　to　apologize　for　his　conduct　to　the　Old　Dear；　and　had　since　then　become　one　of　the　regular　customers。　　Philpot　was　absent。　He　had　been　there　that　afternoon；　so　the　Old　Dear　said；　but　he　had　gone　home　about　five　o'clock；　and　had　not　been　back　since。　　He　was　almost　sure　to　look　in　again　in　the　course　of　the　evening。

Although　the　house　was　not　nearly　so　full　as　it　would　have　been　if　times　had　been　better；　there　was　a　large　number　of　people　there；　for　the　‘Cricketers'　was　one　of　the　most　popular　houses　in　the　town。　Another　thing　that　helped　to　make　them　busy　was　the　fact　that　two　other　public　houses　in　the　vicinity　had　recently　been　closed　up。　There　were　people　in　all　the　compartments。　　Some　of　the　seats　in　the　public　bar　were　occupied　by　women；　some　young　and　accompanied　by　their　husbands；　some　old　and　evidently　sodden　with　drink。　　In　one　corner　of　the　public　bar；　drinking　beer　or　gin　with　a　number　of　young　fellows；　were　three　young　girls　who　worked　at　a　steam　laundry　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Two　large；　fat；　gipsy…looking　women：　evidently　hawkers；　for　on　the　floor　beside　them　were　two　baskets　containing　bundles　of　flowers　…　chrysanthemums　and　Michaelmas　daisies。　　There　were　also　two　very　plainly　and　shabbily　dressed　women　about　thirty…five　years　of　age；　who　were　always　to　be　found　there　on　Saturday　nights；　drinking　with　any　man　who　was　willing　to　pay　for　them。　　The　behaviour　of　these　two　women　was　very　quiet　and　their　manners　unobtrusive。　　They　seemed　to　realize　that　they　were　there　only　on　sufferance；　and　their　demeanour　was　shamefaced　and　humble。

The　majority　of　the　guests　were　standing。　　The　floor　was　sprinkled　with　sawdust　which　served　to　soak　up　the　beer　that　slopped　out　of　the　glasses　of　those　whose　hands　were　too　unsteady　to　hold　them　upright。　The　air　was　foul　with　the　smell　of　beer；　spirits　and　tobacco　smoke；　and　the　uproar　was　deafening；　for　nearly　everyone　was　talking　at　the　same　time；　their　voices　clashing　discordantly　with　the　strains　of　the　Polyphone；　which　was　playing　‘The　Garden　of　Your　Heart'。　　In　one　corner　a　group　of　men　convulsed　with　laughter　at　the　details　of　a　dirty　story　related　by　one　of　their　number。　　Several　impatient　customers　were　banging　the　bottoms　of　their　empty　glasses　or　pewters　on　the　counter　and　shouting　their　orders　for　more　beer。　　Oaths；　curses　and　obscene　expressions　resounded　on　every　hand；　coming　almost　as　frequently　from　the　women　as　the　men。　　And　over　all　the　rattle　of　money；　the　ringing　of　the　cash　register。　　The　clinking　and　rattling　of　the　glasses　and　pewter　pots　as　they　were　being　washed；　and　the　gurgling　noise　made　by　the　beer　as　it　poured　into　the　drinking　vessels　from　the　taps　of　the　beer　engine；　whose　handles　were　almost　incessantly　manipulated　by　the　barman；　the　Old　Dear　and　the　glittering　landlady；　whose　silken　blouse；　bejewelled　hair；　ears；　neck　and　fingers　scintillated　gloriously　in　the　blaze　of　the　gaslight。

The　scene　was　so　novel　and　strange　to　Ruth　that　she　felt　dazed　and　bewildered。　　Previous　to　her　marriage　she　had　been　a　total　abstainer；　but　since　then　she　had　occasionally　taken　a　glass　of　beer　with　Easton　for　company's　sake　with　their　Sunday　dinner　at　home；　but　it　was　generally　Easton　who　went　out　and　bought　the　beer　in　a　jug。　　Once　or　twice　she　had　bought　it　herself　at　an　Off　Licence　beer…shop　near　where　they　lived；　but　she　had　never　before　been　in　a　public　house　to　drink。　She　was　so　confused　and　ill　at　ease　that　she　scarcely　heard　or　understood　Mrs　Crass；　who　talked　incessantly；　principally　about　their　other　residents　in　North　Street　where　they　both　resided；　and　about　Mr　Crass。　　She　also　promised　Ruth　to　introduce　her　presently　…　if　he　came　in；　as　he　was　almost　certain　to　do　…　to　Mr　Partaker；　one　of　her　two　lodgers　a　most　superior　young　man；　who　had　been　with　them　now　for　over　thre