the ragged trousered philanthropists-第62章

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alp；　evidently　being　under　the　impression　that　it　was　something　for　the　improvement　of　the　complexion；　or　a　cure　for　baldness。　　He　now　looked　as　if　he　had　been　in　a　fight　or　a　railway　accident。　　The　child　hailed　the　arrival　of　Slyme　with　enthusiasm；　being　so　overcome　with　emotion　that　he　began　to　shed　tears；　and　was　only　pacified　when　the　man　gave　him　the　jar　of　sweets　and　took　him　out　of　the　chair。

Slyme's　presence　in　the　house　had　not　proved　so　irksome　as　Easton　and　Ruth　had　dreaded　it　would　be。　　Indeed；　at　first；　he　made　a　point　of　retiring　to　his　own　room　after　tea　every　evening；　until　they　invited　him　to　stay　downstairs　in　the　kitchen。　　Nearly　every　Wednesday　and　Saturday　he　went　to　a　meeting；　or　an　open…air　preaching；　when　the　weather　permitted；　for　he　was　one　of　a　little　zealous　band　of　people　connected　with　the　Shining　Light　Chapel　who　carried　on　the　‘open…air'　work　all　the　year　round。　　After　a　while；　the　Eastons　not　only　became　reconciled　to　his　presence　in　the　house；　but　were　even　glad　of　it。　Ruth　especially　would　often　have　been　very　lonely　if　he　had　not　been　there；　for　it　had　lately　become　Easton's　custom　to　spend　a　few　evenings　every　week　with　Crass　at　the　Cricketers。

When　at　home　Slyme　passed　his　time　playing　a　mandolin　or　making　fretwork　photo　frames。　　Ruth　had　the　baby's　photograph　taken　a　few　weeks　after　Slyme　came；　and　the　frame　he　made　for　it　was　now　one　of　the　ornaments　of　the　sitting…room。　　The　instinctive；　unreasoning　aversion　she　had　at　first　felt　for　him　had　passed　away。　　In　a　quiet；　unobtrusive　manner　he　did　her　so　many　little　services　that　she　found　it　impossible　to　dislike　him。　　At　first；　she　used。to　address　him　as　‘Mr'　but　after　a　time　she　fell　naturally　into　Easton's　practice　of　calling　him　by　his　first　name。

As　for　the　baby；　he　made　no　secret　of　his　affection　for　the　lodger；　who　nursed　and　played　with　him　for　hours　at　a　stretch。

‘I'll　serve　your　dinner　now；　Alf；'　said　Ruth　when　she　had　finished　scrubbing　the　floor；　‘but　I'll　wait　for　mine　for　a　little　while。　　Will　may　come'

‘I'm　in　no　hurry；'　replied　Slyme。　　‘I'll　go　and　have　a　wash；　he　may　be　here　then。'

As　he　spoke；　Slyme　…　who　had　been　sitting　by　the　fire　nursing　the　baby　…　who　was　trying　to　swallow　the　jar　of　sweets　…　put　the　child　back　into　the　high　chair；　giving　him　one　of　the　sticks　of　sweet　out　of　the　jar　to　keep　him　quiet；　and　went　upstairs　to　his　own　room。　　He　came　down　again　in　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　Ruth　proceeded　to　serve　his　dinner；　for　Easton　was　still　absent。

‘If　I　was　you；　I　wouldn't　wait　for　Will；'　said　Slyme；　‘he　may　not　come　for　another　hour　or　two。　　It's　after　two　o'clock　now；　and　I'm　sure　you　must　be　hungry。'

‘I　suppose　I　may　as　well；'　replied　Ruth；　hesitatingly。　　‘He'll　most　likely　get　some　bread　and　cheese　at　the　〃Cricketers〃；　same　as　he　did　last　Saturday。'

‘Almost　sure　to；'　responded　Slyme。

The　baby　had　had　his　face　washed　while　Slyme　was　upstairs。　　Directly　he　saw　his　mother　eating　he　threw　away　the　sugar…stick　and　began　to　cry；　holding　out　his　arms　to　her。　　She　had　to　take　him　on　her　lap　whilst　she　ate　her　dinner；　and　feed　him　with　pieces　from　her　plate。

Slyme　talked　all　the　time；　principally　about　the　child。　　He　was　very　fond　of　children；　he　said；　and　always　got　on　well　with　them；　but　he　had　really　never　known　such　an　intelligent　child　…　for　his　age　…　as　Freddie。　　His　fellow…workmen　would　have　been　astonished　had　they　been　present　to　hear　him　talking　about　the　shape　of　the　baby's　head。　　They　would　have　been　astonished　at　the　amount　of　knowledge　he　appeared　to　possess　of　the　science　of　Phrenology。　　Ruth；　at　any　rate；　thought　he　was　very　clever。

After　a　time　the　child　began　to　grow　fretful　and　refused　to　eat；　when　his　mother　gave　him　a　fresh　piece　of　sugar…stick　out　of　the　jar　he　threw　it　peevishly　on　the　floor　and　began　to　whimper；　rubbing　his　face　against　his　mother's　bosom　and　pulling　at　her　dress　with　his　hands。　When　Slyme　first　came　Ruth　had　made　a　practice　of　withdrawing　from　the　room　if　he　happened　to　be　present　when　she　wanted　to　nurse　the　child；　but　lately　she　had　been　less　sensitive。　She　was　sitting　with　her　back　to　the　window　and　she　partly　covered　the　baby's　face　with　a　light　shawl　that　she　wore。　　By　the　time　they　finished　dinner　the　child　had　dozed　off　to　sleep。　　Slyme　got　up　from　his　chair　and　stood　with　his　back　to　the　fire；　looking　down　at　them；　presently　he　spoke；　referring；　of　course；　to　the　baby：

‘He's　very　like　you；　isn't　he？'

‘Yes；'　replied　Ruth。　　‘Everyone　says　he　takes　after　me。'

Slyme　moved　a　little　closer；　bending　down　to　look　at　the　slumbering　infant。

‘You　know；　at　first　I　thought　he　was　a　girl；'　he　continued　after　a　pause。　　‘He　seems　almost　too　pretty　for　a　boy；　doesn't　he？'

Ruth　smiled。　　‘People　always　take　him　for　a　girl　at　first；'　she　said。　‘Yesterday　I　took　him　with　me　to　the　Monopole　Stores　to　buy　some　things；　and　the　manager　would　hardly　believe　it　wasn't　a　girl。'

The　man　reached　out　his　hand　and　stroked　the　baby's　face。

Although　Slyme's　behaviour　had　hitherto　always　been　very　correct；　yet　there　was　occasionally　an　indefinable　something　in　his　manner　when　they　were　alone　that　made　Ruth　feel　conscious　and　embarrassed。　　Now；　as　she　glanced　up　at　him　and　saw　the　expression　on　his　face　she　crimsoned　with　confusion　and　hastily　lowered　her　eyes　without　replying　to　his　last　remark。　　He　did　not　speak　again　either；　and　they　remained　for　several　minutes　in　silence；　as　if　spellbound；　Ruth　oppressed　with　instinctive　dread；　and　Slyme　scarcely　less　agitated；　his　face　flushed　and　his　heart　beating　wildly。　He　trembled　as　he　stood　over　her；　hesitating　and　afraid。

And　then　the　silence　was　suddenly　broken　by　the　creaking　and　clanging　of　the　front　gate；　heralding　the　tardy　coming　of　Easton。　　Slyme　went　out　into　the　scullery　and；　taking　down　the　blacking　brushes　from　the　shelf；　began　cleaning　his　boots。

It　was　plain　from　Easton's　appearance　and　manner　that　he　had　been　drinking；　but　Ruth　did　not　reproach　him　in　any　way；　on　the　contrary；　she　seemed　almost　feverishly　anxious　to　attend　to　his　comfort。

When　Slyme　finished　cleaning　his　boots　he　went　upstairs　to　his　room；　receiving　a　careless　greeting　from　Easton　as　he　passed　through　the　kitchen。　　He　felt　nervous　and　apprehensive　that　Ruth　might　say　something　to　Easton；　and　was　not　quite　able　to　reassure　himself　with　the　reflection　that；　after　all；　there　was　nothing　to　tell。　　As　for　Ruth；　she　had　to　postpone　the　execution　of　her　hastily　formed　resolution　to　tell　her　husband　of　Slyme's　strange　behaviour；　for　Easton　fell　asleep　in　his　chair　before　he　had　finished　his　dinner；　and　she　had　some　difficulty　in　waking　him　sufficiently　to　persuade　him　to　go　upstairs　to　bed；　where　he　remained　until　tea…time。　　Probably　he　would　not　have　come　down　even　then　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　fact　that　he　had　made　an　appointment　to　meet　Crass　at　the　Cricketers。

Whilst　Easton　was　asleep；　Slyme　had　been　downstairs　in　the　kitchen；　making　a　fretwork　frame。　　He　played　with　Freddie　while　Ruth　prepared　the　tea；　and　he　appeared　to　her　to　be　so　unconscious　of　having　done　anything　unusual　that　she　began　to　think　that　she　must　have　been　mistaken　in　imagining　that　he　had　intended　anything　wrong。

After　tea；　Slyme　put　on　his　best　clothes　to　go　to　his　usual　‘open…air'　meeting。　　As　a　rule　Easton　and　Ruth　went　out　marketing　together　every　Saturday　night；　but　this　evening　he　could　not　wait　for　her　because　he　had　promised　to　meet　Crass　at　seven　o'clock；　so　he　arranged　to　see　her　down　town　at　eight。



Chapter　23

The　‘Open…air'


During　the　last　few　weeks　ever　since　he　had　been　engaged　on　the　decoration　of　the　drawing…room；　Owen　had　been　so　absorbed　in　his　work　that　he　had　no　time　for　other　things。　　Of　course；　all　he　was　paid　for　was　the　time　he　actually　worked；　but　really　every　waking　moment　of　his　time　was　given　to　the　task。　　Now　that　it　was　finished　he　felt　something　like　one　aroused　from　a　dream　to　the　stern　realities　and　terrors　of　life。　　By　the　end　of　next　week；　the　inside　of　the　house　and　part　of　the　outside　would　be　finished；　and　as　far　as　he　knew　the　firm　had　nothing　else　to　do　at　present。　　Most　of　the　other　employers　in　the　town　were　in　the　same　plight；　and　it　would　be　of　no　use　to　apply　even　to　such　of　them　as　had