the ragged trousered philanthropists-第119章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


cription　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　were　returned。

When　they　got　back　to　the　job　they　found　the　‘coddy'　in　the　kitchen；　looking　for　them　and　he　began　to　talk　and　grumble；　but　the　Semi…drunk　soon　shut　him　up：　he　told　him　he　could　either　have　a　drink　out　of　one　of　the　bottles　or　a　punch　in　the　bloody　nose　…　whichever　he　liked！　　Or　if　he　did　not　fancy　either　of　these　alternatives；　he　could　go　to　hell！

As　the　‘coddy'　was　a　sensible　man　he　took　the　beer　and　advised　them　to　pull　themselves　together　and　try　to　get　some　work　done　before　Misery　came；　which　they　promised　to　do。

When　the　‘coddy'　was　gone　they　made　another　attempt　at　the　work。　Misery　came　a　little　while　afterwards　and　began　shouting　at　them　because　he　said　he　could　not　see　what　they　had　done。　　It　looked　as　if　they　had　been　asleep　all　the　morning：　Here　it　was　nearly　ten　o'clock；　and　as　far　as　he　could　see；　they　had　done　Nothing！

When　he　was　gone　they　drank　the　rest　of　the　beer　and　then　they　began　to　feel　inclined　to　laugh。　　What　did　they　care　for　Hunter　or　Rushton　either？　　To　hell　with　both　of　'em！　　They　left　off　scraping　and　scrubbing；　and　began　throwing　buckets　of　water　over　the　dresser　and　the　walls；　laughing　uproariously　all　the　time。

‘We'll　show　the　bs　how　to　wash　down　paintwork！'　shouted　the　Semi…drunk；　as　he　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room　and　hurled　a　pailful　of　water　over　the　door　of　the　cupboard。　　‘Bring　us　another　bucket　of　water；　Bill。'

Bill　was　out　in　the　scullery　filling　his　pail　under　the　tap；　and　laughing　so　much　that　he　could　scarcely　stand。　　As　soon　as　it　was　full　he　passed　it　to　the　Semi…drunk；　who　threw　it　bodily；　pail　and　all；　on　to　the　bench　in　front　of　the　window；　smashing　one　of　the　panes　of　glass。　　The　water　poured　off　the　table　and　all　over　the　floor。

Bill　brought　the　next　pailful　in　and　threw　it　at　the　kitchen　door；　splitting　one　of　the　panels　from　top　to　bottom；　and　then　they　threw　about　half　a　dozen　more　pailfuls　over　the　dresser。

‘We'll　show　the　brs　how　to　clean　paintwork；'　they　shouted；　as　they　hurled　the　buckets　at　the　walls　and　doors。

By　this　time　the　floor　was　deluged　with　water；　which　mingled　with　the　filth　and　formed　a　sea　of　mud。

They　left　the　two　taps　running　in　the　scullery　and　as　the　waste　pipe　of　the　sink　was　choked　up　with　dirt；　the　sink　filled　up　and　overflowed　like　a　miniature　Niagara。

The　water　ran　out　under　the　doors　into　the　back…yard；　and　along　the　passage　out　to　the　front　door。　　But　Bill　Bates　and　the　Semi…drunk　remained　in　the　kitchen；　smashing　the　pails　at　the　walls　and　doors　and　the　dresser；　and　cursing　and　laughing　hysterically。

They　had　just　filled　the　two　buckets　and　were　bringing　them　into　the　kitchen　when　they　heard　Hunter's　voice　in　the　passage；　shouting　out　inquiries　as　to　where　all　that　water　came　from。　　Then　they　heard　him　advancing　towards　them　and　they　stood　waiting　for　him　with　the　pails　in　their　hands；　and　directly　he　opened　the　door　and　put　his　head　into　the　room　they　let　fly　the　two　pails　at　him。　　Unfortunately；　they　were　too　drunk　and　excited　to　aim　straight。　　One　pail　struck　the　middle　rail　of　the　door　and　the　other　the　wall　by　the　side　of　it。

Misery　hastily　shut　the　door　again　and　ran　upstairs；　and　presently　the　‘coddy'　came　down　and　called　out　to　them　from　the　passage。

They　went　out　to　see　what　he　wanted；　and　he　told　them　that　Misery　had　gone　to　the　office　to　get　their　wages　ready：　they　were　to　make　out　their　time　sheets　and　go　for　their　money　at　once。　Misery　had　said　that　if　they　were　not　there　in　ten　minutes　he　would　have　the　pair　of　them　locked　up。

The　Semi…drunk　said　that　nothing　would　suit　them　better　than　to　have　all　their　pieces　at　once　…　they　had　spent　all　their　money　and　wanted　another　drink。　　Bill　Bates　concurred；　so　they　borrowed　a　piece　of　blacklead　pencil　from　the　‘coddy'　and　made　out　their　time　sheets；　took　off　their　aprons；　put　them　into　their　tool　bags；　and　went　to　the　office　for　their　money；　which　Misery　passed　out　to　them　through　the　trap…door。

The　news　of　this　exploit　spread　all　over　the　town　during　that　day　and　evening；　and　although　it　was　in　July；　the　next　morning　at　six　o'clock　there　were　half　a　dozen　men　waiting　at　the　yard　to　ask　Misery　if　there　was　‘any　chance　of　a　job'。

Bill　Bates　and　the　Semi…drunk　had　had　their　spree　and　had　got　the　sack　for　it　and　most　of　the　chaps　said　it　served　them　right。　　Such　conduct　as　that　was　going　too　far。

Most　of　them　would　have　said　the　same　thing　no　matter　what　the　circumstances　might　have　been。　　They　had　very　little　sympathy　for　each　other　at　any　time。

Often；　when；　for　instance；　one　man　was　sent　away　from　one　‘job'　to　another；　the　others　would　go　into　his　room　and　look　at　the　work　he　had　been　doing；　and　pick　out　all　the　faults　they　could　find　and　show　them　to　each　other；　making　all　sorts　of　ill…natured　remarks　about　the　absent　one　meanwhile。　　‘Jist　run　yer　nose　over　that　door；　Jim；'　one　would　say　in　a　tone　of　disgust。　　‘Wotcher　think　of　it？　　Did　yer　ever　see　sich　a　mess　in　yer　life？　　Calls　hisself　a　painter！'　　And　the　other　man　would　shake　his　head　sadly　and　say　that　although　the　one　who　had　done　it　had　never　been　up　to　much　as　a　workman；　he　could　do　it　a　bit　better　than　that　if　he　liked；　but　the　fact　was　that　he　never　gave　himself　time　to　do　anything　properly：　he　was　always　tearing　his　bloody　guts　out！　　Why；　he'd　only　been　in　this　room　about　four　hours　from　start　to　finish！　　He　ought　to　have　a　watering　cart　to　follow　him　about；　because　he　worked　at　such　a　hell　of　a　rate　you　couldn't　see　him　for　dust！　　And　then　the　first　man　would　reply　that　other　people　could　do　as　they　liked；　but　for　his　part；　HE　was　not　going　to　tear　his　guts　out　for　nobody！

The　second　man　would　applaud　these　sentiments　and　say　that　he　wasn't　going　to　tear　his　out　either：　and　then　they　would　both　go　back　to　their　respective　rooms　and　tear　into　the　work　for　all　they　were　worth；　making　the　same　sort　of　‘job'　as　the　one　they　had　been　criticizing；　and　afterwards；　when　the　other's　back　was　turned；　each　of　them　in　turn　would　sneak　into　the　other's　room　and　criticize　it　and　point　out　the　faults　to　anyone　else　who　happened　to　be　near　at　hand。

Harlow　was　working　at　the　place　that　had　been　Macaroni's　Cafe　when　one　day　a　note　was　sent　to　him　from　Hunter　at　t