the ragged trousered philanthropists-第86章

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When　the　architect　and　the　owner　were　gone　the　two　chandeliers　were　taken　down　again　from　under　the　roof；　and　put　upon　a　handcart；　covered　over　with　sacks　and　dust…sheets　and　taken　back　to　the　shop　and　again　placed　for　sale　with　the　other　stock。

These　are　only　a　few　of　the　petty　thefts　committed　by　these　people。　To　give　anything　approaching　a　full　account　of　all　the　rest　would　require　a　separate　volume。



As　a　result　of　all　the　hurrying　and　scamping；　every　now　and　again　the　men　found　that　they　had　worked　themselves　out　of　a　job。

Several　times　during　the　summer　the　firm　had　scarcely　anything　to　do；　and　nearly　everybody　had　to　stand　off　for　a　few　days　or　weeks。

When　Newman　got　his　first　start　in　the　early　part　of　the　year　he　had　only　been　working　for　about　a　fortnight　when　…　with　several　others　…　he　was　‘stood　off'。　　Fortunately；　however；　the　day　after　he　left　Rushtons；　he　was　lucky　enough　to　get　a　start　for　another　firm；　Driver　and　Botchit；　where　he　worked　for　nearly　a　month；　and　then　he　was　again　given　a　job　at　Rushton's；　who　happened　to　be　busy　again。

He　did　not　have　to　lose　much　time；　for　he　‘finished　up'　for　Driver　and　Botchit　on　a　Thursday　night　and　on　the　Friday　he　interviewed　Misery；　who　told　him　they　were　about　to　commence　a　fresh　‘jab'　on　the　following　Monday　morning　at　six　o'clock；　and　that　he　could　start　with　them。　　So　this　time　Newman　was　only　out　of　work　the　Friday　and　Saturday；　which　was　another　stroke　of　luck；　because　it　often　happens　that　a　man　has　to　lose　a　week　or　more　after　‘finishing　up'　for　one　firm　before　he　gets　another　‘job'。

All　through　the　summer　Crass　continued　to　be　the　general　‘colour…man'；　most　of　his　time　being　spent　at　the　shop　mixing　up　colours　for　all　the　different　‘jobs'。　　He　also　acted　as　a　sort　of　lieutenant　to　Hunter；　who；　as　the　reader　has　already　been　informed；　was　not　a　practical　painter。　　When　there　was　a　price　to　be　given　for　some　painting　work；　Misery　sometimes　took　Crass　with　him　to　look　over　it　and　help　him　to　estimate　the　amount　of　time　and　material　it　would　take。　　Crass　was　thus　in　a　position　of　more　than　ordinary　importance；　not　only　being　superior　to　the　‘hands'；　but　also　ranking　above　the　other　sub…foremen　who　had　charge　of　the　‘jobs'。

It　was　Crass　and　these　sub…foremen　who　were　to　blame　for　most　of　the　scamping　and　driving；　because　if　it　had　not　been　for　them　neither　Rushton　nor　Hunter　would　have　known　how　to　scheme　the　work。

Of　course；　Hunter　and　Rushton　wanted　to　drive　and　scamp；　but　not　being　practical　men　they　would　not　have　known　how　if　it　had　not　been　for　Crass　and　the　others；　who　put　them　up　to　all　the　tricks　of　the　trade。

Crass　knew　that　when　the　men　stayed　till　half　past　seven　they　were　in　the　habit　of　ceasing　work　for　a　few　minutes　to　eat　a　mouthful　of　grub　about　six　o'clock；　so　he　suggested　to　Misery　that　as　it　was　not　possible　to　stop　this；　it　would　be　a　good　plan　to　make　the　men　stop　work　altogether　from　half　past　five　till　six；　and　lose　half　an　hour's　pay；　and　to　make　up　the　time；　instead　of　leaving　off　at　seven…thirty；　they　could　work　till　eight。

Misery　had　known　of　and　winked　at　the　former　practice；　for　he　knew　that　the　men　could　not　work　all　that　time　without　something　to　eat；　but　Crass's　suggestion　seemed　a　much　better　way；　and　it　was　adopted。

When　the　other　masters　in　Mugsborough　heard　of　this　great　reform　they　all　followed　suit；　and　it　became　the　rule　in　that　town；　whenever　it　was　necessary　to　work　overtime；　for　the　men　to　stay　till　eight　instead　of　half　past　seven　as　formerly；　and　they　got　no　more　pay　than　before。

Previous　to　this　summer　it　had　been　the　almost　invariable　rule　to　have　two　men　in　each　room　that　was　being　painted；　but　Crass　pointed　out　to　Misery　that　under　such　circumstances　they　wasted　time　talking　to　each　other；　and　they　also　acted　as　a　check　on　one　another：　each　of　them　regulated　the　amount　of　work　he　did　by　the　amount　the　other　did；　and　if　the　‘job'　took　too　long　it　was　always　difficult　to　decide　which　of　the　two　was　to　blame：　but　if　they　were　made　to　work　alone；　each　of　them　would　be　on　his　mettle；　he　would　not　know　how　much　the　others　were　doing；　and　the　fear　of　being　considered　slow　in　comparison　with　others　would　make　them　all　tear　into　it　all　they　could。

Misery　thought　this　a　very　good　idea；　so　the　solitary　system　was　introduced；　and　as　far　as　practicable；　one　room；　one　man　became　the　rule。

They　even　tried　to　make　the　men　distemper　large　ceilings　single…handed；　and　succeeded　in　one　or　two　cases；　but　after　several　ceilings　had　been　spoilt　and　had　to　be　washed　off　and　done　over　again；　they　gave　that　up：　but　nearly　all　the　other　work　was　now　arranged　on　the　‘solitary　system'；　and　it　worked　splendidly：　each　man　was　constantly　in　a　state　of　panic　as　to　whether　the　others　were　doing　more　work　than　himself。

Another　suggestion　that　Crass　made　to　Misery　was　that　the　sub…foremen　should　be　instructed　never　to　send　a　man　into　a　room　to　prepare　it　for　painting。

‘If　you　sends　a　man　into　a　room　to　get　it　ready；'　said　Crass；　‘'e　makes　a　meal　of　it！　　'E　spends　as　much　time　messin'　about　rubbin'　down　and　stoppin'　up　as　it　would　take　to　paint　it。　　But；'　he　added；　with　a　cunning　leer；　‘give　'em　a　bit　of　putty　and　a　little　bit　of　glass…paper；　and　the　paint　at　the　stand；　and　then　'e　gits　it　in　'is　mind　as　'e's　going　in　there　to　paint　it！　　And　'e　doesn't　mess　about　much　over　the　preparing　of　it'。

These　and　many　other　suggestions　…　all　sorts　of　devices　for　scamping　and　getting　over　the　work　…　were　schemed　out　by　Crass　and　the　other　sub…foremen；　who　put　them　into　practice　and　showed　them　to　Misery　and　Rushton　in　the　hope　of　currying　favour　with　them　and　being　‘kept　on'。　And　between　the　lot　of　them　they　made　life　a　veritable　hell　for　themselves；　and　the　hands；　and　everybody　else　around　them。　　And　the　mainspring　of　it　all　was　…　the　greed　and　selfishness　of　one　man；　who　desired　to　accumulate　money！　　For　this　was　the　only　object　of　all　the　driving　and　bullying　and　hatred　and　cursing　and　unhappiness　…　to　make　money　for　Rushton；　who　evidently　considered　himself　a　deserving　case。

It　is　sad　and　discreditable；　but　nevertheless　true；　that　some　of　the　more　selfish　of　the　philanthropists　often　became　weary　of　well…doing；　and　lost　all　enthusiasm　in　the　good　cause。　　At　such　times　they　used　to　say　that　they　were　‘Bloody　well　fed　up'　with　the　whole　business　and　‘Tired　of　tearing　their　bloody　guts　out　for　the　benefit　of　other　people'　and　every　now　and　then　some　of　these　fellows　would　‘chuck　up'　work；　and　go　on　the　booze；　sometimes　stopping　away　for　two　or　three　days　or　a　week　at　a　time。　　And　then；　when　it　was　all　over；　they　came　back；　very　penitent；　to　ask　for　another　‘start'；　but　they　generally　found　that　their　places　had　been　filled。

If　they　happened　to　be　good　‘sloggers'　…　men　who　made　a　practice　of　‘tearing　their　guts　out'　when　they　did　work　…　they　were　usually　forgiven；　and　after　being　admonished　by　Misery；　permitted　to　resume　work；　with　the　understanding　that　if　ever　it　occurred　again　they　would　get　the　‘infernal'　…　which　means　the　final　and　irrevocable　…　sack。



There　was　once　a　job　at　a　shop　that　had　been　a　high…class　restaurant　kept　by　a　renowned　Italian　chef。　　It　had　been　known　as

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　‘MACARONI'S　ROYAL　ITALIAN　CAFE'

Situated　on　the　Grand　Parade；　it　was　a　favourite　resort　of　the　‘Elite'；　who　frequented　it　for　afternoon　tea　and　coffee　and　for　little　suppers　after　the　theatre。

It　had　plate…glass　windows；　resplendent　with　gilding；　marble…topped　tables　with　snow　white　covers；　vases　of　flowers；　and　all　the　other　appurtenances　of　glittering　cut　glass　and　silver。　　The　obsequious　waiters　were　in　evening　dress；　the　walls　were　covered　with　lofty　plate…glass　mirrors　in　carved　and　gilded　frames；　and　at　certain　hours　of　the　day　and　night　an　orchestra　consisting　of　two　violins　and　a　harp　discoursed　selections　of　classic　music。

But　of　late　years　the　business　had　not　been　paying；　and　finally　the　proprietor　went　bankrupt　and　was　sold　out。　　The　place　was　shut　up　for　several　months　before　the　shop　was　let　to　a　firm　of　dealers　in　fancy　articles；　and　the　other　part　was　transformed　into　flats。

Rushton　had　the　contract　for　the　work。　　When　the　men　went　there　to　‘do　it　up'　they　found　the　interior　of　the　house　in　a　state　of　indescribable　filth：　the　ceilings　discoloured　with　smoke　and　hung　with　cobwebs；　the　wallpapers　smeared　and　black　with　grease；　the　handrails　and　the　newel　posts　of　the　staircase　were　clammy　with　filth；　and　the　edges　of　the　doors　near　the　handles　were　blackened　with　greasy　dirt　and　finger…marks。　　The　tops　of　the　skirtings；　the　mouldings　of　the　doors；　the　sashes　of　the　windows　and　the　corners　of　the　floors　were　thick　with　the　accumulated　dust　of　years。

In　one　of　the　upper　rooms　which　had　evidently　been　used　as　a　nursery　or　playroom　for　the　children　of　the　renowned　chef；　the　wallpaper　for　about　two　feet　above　the　skirting　was　blackened　with　grease　and　ornamented　with　childish　drawings　made　with　burnt　sticks　and　blacklead　pencils；　the　door　being　covered　with　similar　artistic　efforts；　to　say　nothing　of　some　rude　attempts　at　carving；　evidently　executed　with　an　axe　or　a　hammer。　　But　all　this　filth　was　nothing　compared　with　the　unspeakable　condition　of　the　kitchen　and　scullery；　a　detailed　description　of　which　would　cause　the　blood　of　the　reader　to　curdle；　and　each　particular　hair　of　his　head　to　stand　on　end。

Let　it　suffice　to　say　that　the　walls；　the　ceiling；　the　floor；　the　paintwork；　the　gas…stove；　the　kitchen　range；　the　dresser　and　everything　else　were　uniformly　absolutely　and　literally　…　black。　　And　the　black　was　composed　of　soot　and　grease。

In　front　of　the　window　there　was　a　fixture　？a　kind　of　bench　or　table；　deeply　scored　with　marks　of　knives　like　a　butcher's　block。　　The　sill　of　the　window　was　about　six　inches　lower　than　the　top　of　the　table；　so　that　between　the　glass　of　the　lower　sash　of　the　window；　which　had　evidently　never　been　raised；　and　the　back　of　the　table；　there　was　a　long　narrow　cavity　or　trough；　about　six　inches　deep；　four　inches　wide　and　as　long　as　the　width　of　the　window；　the　sill　forming　the　bottom　of　the　cavity。

This　trough　was　filled　with　all　manner　of　abominations：　fragments　of　fat　and　decomposed　meat；　legs　of　rabbits　and　fowls；　vegetable　matter；　broken　knives　and　forks；　and　hair：　and　the　glass　of　the　window　was　caked　with　filth　of　the　same　description。

This　job　was　the　cause　of　the　sacking　of　the　Semi…drunk　and　another　man　named　Bill　Bates；　who　were　sent　into　the　kitchen　to　clean　it　down　and　prepare　it　for　painting　and　distempering。

They　commenced　to　do　it；　but　it　made　them　feel　so　ill　that　they　went　out　and　had　a　pint　each；　and　after　that　they　made　another　start　at　it。　But　it　was　not　long　before　they　felt　that　it　was　imperatively　necessary　to　have　another　drink。　　So　they　went　over　to　the　pub；　and　this　time　they　had　two　pints　each。　　Bill　paid　for　the　first　two　and　then　the　Semi…drunk　refused　to　return　to　work　unless　Bill　would　consent　to　have　another　pint　with　him　before　going　back。　　When　they　had　drunk　the　two　pints；　they　decided　…　in　order　to　save　themselves　the　trouble　and　risk　of　coming　away　from　the　job　…　to　take　a　couple　of　quarts　back　with　them　in　two　bottles；　which　the　landlord　of　the　pub　lent　them；　charging　twopence　on　each　bottle；　to　be　refunded　when　they