the ragged trousered philanthropists-第60章

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red　round　the　philanthropist　and　sang；　‘For　he's　a　jolly　good　fellow；'　and　afterwards　Harlow　suggested　that　they　should　ask　him　if　he　would　allow　them　to　elect　him　to　Parliament。



Chapter　22

The　Phrenologist


The　following　morning　…　Saturday　…　the　men　went　about　their　work　in　gloomy　silence；　there　were　but　few　attempts　at　conversation　and　no　jests　or　singing。　　The　tenor　of　the　impending　slaughter　pervaded　the　house。　　Even　those　who　were　confident　of　being　spared　and　kept　on　till　the　job　was　finished　shared　the　general　depression；　not　only　out　of　sympathy　for　the　doomed；　but　because　they　knew　that　a　similar　fate　awaited　themselves　a　little　later　on。

They　all　waited　anxiously　for　Nimrod　to　come；　but　hour　after　hour　dragged　slowly　by　and　he　did　not　arrive。　　At　half　past　eleven　some　of　those　who　had　made　up　their　minds　that　they　were　to　be　‘stood　still'　began　to　hope　that　the　slaughter　was　to　be　deferred　for　a　few　days：　after　all；　there　was　plenty　of　work　still　to　be　done：　even　if　all　hands　were　kept　on；　the　job　could　scarcely　be　finished　in　another　week。　　Anyhow；　it　would　not　be　very　long　now　before　they　would　know　one　way　or　the　other。　　If　he　did　not　come　before　twelve；　it　was　all　right：　all　the　hands　were　paid　by　the　hour　and　were　therefore　entitled　to　an　hour's　notice。

Easton　and　Harlow　were　working　together　on　the　staircase；　finishing　the　doors　and　other　woodwork　with　white　enamel。　　The　men　had　not　been　allowed　to　spend　the　time　necessary　to　prepare　this　work　in　a　proper　manner；　it　had　not　been　rubbed　down　smooth　or　properly　filled　up；　and　it　had　not　had　a　sufficient　number　of　coats　of　paint　to　make　it　solid　white。　　Now　that　the　glossy　enamel　was　put　on；　the　work　looked　rather　rough　and　shady。

‘It　ain't　'arf　all　right；　ain't　it？'　remarked　Harlow；　sarcastically；　indicating　the　door　he　had　just　finished。

Easton　laughed：　'I　can't　understand　how　people　pass　such　work；'　he　said。

‘Old　Sweater　did　make　some　remark　about　it　the　other　day；'　replied　Harlow；　‘and　I　heard　Misery　tell　'im　it　was　impossible　to　make　a　perfect　job　of　such　old　doors。'

‘I　believe　that　man's　the　biggest　liar　Gord　ever　made；'　said　Easton；　an　opinion　in　which　Harlow　entirely　concurred。

‘I　wonder　what　the　time　is？'　said　the　latter　after　a　pause。

‘I　don't　know　exactly；'　replied　Easton；　'but　it　can't　be　far　off　twelve。'

‘'E　don't　seem　to　be　comin'；　does　'e？'　Harlow　continued。

‘No：　and　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　'e　didn't　turn　up　at　all；　now。　P'raps　'e　don't　mean　to　stop　nobody　today　after　all。'

They　spoke　in　hushed　tones　and　glanced　cautiously　about　them　fearful　of　being　heard　or　observed。

‘This　is　a　bloody　life；　ain't　it？'　Harlow　said；　bitterly。　　‘Workin'　our　guts　out　like　a　lot　of　slaves　for　the　benefit　of　other　people；　and　then　as　soon　as　they've　done　with　you；　you're　chucked　aside　like　a　dirty　rag。'

‘Yes：　and　I　begin　to　think　that　a　great　deal　of　what　Owen　says　is　true。　　But　for　my　part　I　can't　see　'Ow　it's　ever　goin'　to　be　altered；　can　you？'

Blowed　if　I　know；　mate。　　But　whether　it　can　be　altered　or　not；　there's　one　thing　very　certain；　it　won't　be　done　in　our　time。'

Neither　of　them　seemed　to　think　that　if　the　‘alteration'　they　spoke　of　were　to　be　accomplished　at　all　they　themselves　would　have　to　help　to　bring　it　about。

‘I　wonder　what　they're　doin'　about　the　venetian　blinds？'　said　Easton。　‘Is　there　anyone　doin'　em　yet？'

‘I　don't　know；　ain't　'eard　nothing　about　'em　since　the　boy　took　'em　to　the　shop。'

There　was　quite　a　mystery　about　these　blinds。　　About　a　month　ago　they　were　taken　to　the　paint…shop　down　at　the　yard　to　be　repainted　and　re…harnessed；　and　since　then　nothing　had　been　heard　of　them　by　the　men　working　at　the　‘Cave'。

‘P'hap's　a　couple　of　us　will　be　sent　there　to　do　'em　next　week；'　remarked　Harlow。

‘P'hap's　so。　　Most　likely　they'll　'ave　to　be　done　in　a　bloody　'urry　at　the　last　minute。'

Presently　Harlow　…　who　was　very　anxious　to　know　what　time　it　was　…　went　downstairs　to　ask　Slyme。　　It　was　twenty　minutes　to　twelve。

From　the　window　of　the　room　where　Slyme　was　papering；　one　could　see　into　the　front　garden。　Harlow　paused　a　moment　to　watch　Bundy　and　the　labourers；　who　were　still　working　in　the　trenches　at　the　drains；　and　as　he　looked　out　he　saw　Hunter　approaching　the　house。　　Harlow　drew　back　hastily　and　returned　to　his　work；　and　as　he　went　he　passed　the　word　to　the　other　men；　warning　them　of　the　approach　of　Misery。

Hunter　entered　ii　his　usual　manner　and；　after　crawling　quietly　about　the　house　for　about　ten　minutes；　he　went　into　the　drawing　room。

‘I　see　you're　putting　the　finishing　touches　on　at　last；'　he　said。

‘Yes；'　replied　Owen。　　‘I've　only　got　this　bit　of　outlining　to　do　now。'

‘Ah；　well；　it　looks　very　nice；　of　course；'　said　Misery　in　a　voice　of　mourning；　‘but　we've　lost　money　over　it。　　It's　taken　you　a　week　longer　to　do　than　we　allowed　for；　you　said　three　weeks　and　it's　taken　you　a　month；　and　we　only　allowed　for　fifteen　books　of　gold；　but　you've　been　and　used　twenty…three。'

‘You　can　hardly　blame　me　for　that；　you　know；'　answered　Owen。　　‘I　could　have　got　it　done　in　the　three　weeks；　but　Mr　Rushton　told　me　not　to　hurry　for　the　sake　of　a　day　or　two；　because　he　wanted　a　good　job。　　He　said　he　would　rather　lose　a　little　over　it　than　spoil　it；　and　as　for　the　extra　gold；　that　was　also　his　order。'

‘Well；　I　suppose　it　can't　be　helped；'　whined　Misery。　　‘Anyhow；　I'm　very　glad　it's　done；　because　this　kind　of　work　don't　pay。　　We'll　'ave　you　back　on　the　brush　on　Monday　morning；　we　want　to　get　outside　done　next　week　if　it　keeps　fine。'

The　‘brush'　alluded　to　by　Nimrod　was　the　large　‘pound'　brush　used　in　ordinary　painting。

Misery　now　began　wandering　about　the　house；　in　and　out　of　the　rooms；　sometimes　standing　for　several　minutes　silently　watching　the　hands　as　they　worked。　As　he　watched　them　the　men　became　nervous　and　awkward；　each　one　dreading　that　he　might　be　one　of　those　who　were　to　be　paid　off　at　one　o'clock。

At　about　five　minutes　to　twelve　Hunter　went　down　to　the　paint…shop　…　the　scullery　…　where　Crass　was　mixing　some　colour；　and　getting　ready　some　‘empties'　to　be　taken　to　the　yard。

‘I　suppose　the　br's　gone　to　ask　Crass　which　of　us　is　the　least　use；'　whispered　Harlow　to　Easton。

‘I　wouldn't　be　surprised　if　it　was　you　and　me；　for　two；'　replied　the　latter　in　the　same　tone。　　‘You　can't　trust　Crass　you　know；　for　all　'e　seems　so　friendly　to　our　faces。　　You　never　know　what　'e　ses　behind　our　backs。'

‘You　may　be　sure　it　won't　be　Sawkins　or　any　of　the　other　light…weights；　because　Nimrod　won't　want　to　pay　us　sixpence　ha'penny　for　painting　guttering　and　rainpipes　when　THEY　can　do　it　near　enough　for　fourpence　ha'penny　and　fivepence。　　They　won't　be　able　to　do　the　sashes；　though；　will　they？'

‘I　don't　know　so　much　about　that；'　replied　Easton。　　‘Anything　seems　to　be　good　enough　for　Hunter。'

‘Look　out！　　Ere　'e　comes！'　said　Harlow；　and　they　both　relapsed　into　silence　and　busied　themselves　with　their　work。　　Misery　stood　watching　them　for　some　time　without　speaking；　and　then　went　out　of　the　house。　They　crept　cautiously　to　the　window　of　a　room　that　overlooked　the　garden　and；　peeping　furtively　out；　they　saw　him　standing　on　the　brink　of　one　of　the　trenches；　moodily　watching　Bundy　and　his　mates　as　they　toiled　at　the　drains。　　Then；　to　their　surprise　and　relief；　he　turned　and　went　out　of　the　gate！　　They　just　caught　sight　of　one　of　the　wheels　of　his　bicycle　as　he　rode　away。

The　slaughter　was　evidently　to　be　put　off　until　next　week！　　It　seemed　too　good　to　be　true。

‘P'hap's　'e's　left　a　message　for　some　of　us　with　Crass？'　suggested　Easton。　　‘I　don't　think　it's　likely；　but　it's　just　possible。'

‘Well；　I'm　goin'　down　to　ask　'im；'　said　Harlow；　desperately。　　‘We　may　as　well　know　the　worst　at　once。'

He　returned　in　a　few　minutes　with　the　information　that　Hunter　had　decided　not　to　stop　anyone　that　day　because　he　wanted　to　get　the　outside　finished　during　the　next　week；　if　possible。

The　hands　received　this　intelligence　with　mixed　feelings；　because　although　it　left　them　safe　for　the　present；　it　meant　that　nearly　everybody　would　certainly　be　stopped　next　Saturday；　if　not　before；　whereas　if　a　few　had　been　sacked　today　it　would　have　made　it　all　the　better　for　the　rest。　　Still；　this　aspect　o