the ragged trousered philanthropists-第69章

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‘All　right：　presently；'　replied　Easton。　　'There's　plenty　of　time；　it's　not　nine　yet。'

‘That　doesn't　matter；　it's　quite　late　enough。　　You　know　we've　left　the　child　at　home　alone　in　the　house。　　You　promised　you'd　come　as　soon　as　you'd　finished　that　other　game。'

‘All　right；　all　right；'　answered　Easton　impatiently。　　‘Just　wait　a　minute；　I　want　to　see　this；　and　then　I'll　come。'

‘This'　was　a　most　interesting　problem　propounded　by　Crass；　who　had　arranged　eleven　matches　side　by　side　on　the　shove…ha'penny　board。　　The　problem　was　to　take　none　away　and　yet　leave　only　nine。　　Nearly　all　the　men　in　the　bar　were　crowding　round　the　shove…ha'penny　board；　some　with　knitted　brows　and　drunken　gravity　trying　to　solve　the　puzzle　and　others　waiting　curiously　for　the　result。　　Easton　crossed　over　to　see　how　it　was　done；　and　as　none　of　the　crowd　were　able　to　do　the　trick；　Crass　showed　that　it　could　be　accomplished　by　simply　arranging　the　eleven　matches　so　as　to　form　the　word　NINE。　Everybody　said　it　was　very　good　indeed；　very　clever　and　interesting。　　But　the　Semi…drunk　and　the　Besotted　Wretch　were　reminded　by　this　trick　of　several　others　equally　good；　and　they　proceeded　to　do　them；　and　then　the　men　had　another　pint　each　all　round　as　a　reviver　after　the　mental　strain　of　the　last　few　minutes。

Easton　did　not　know　any　tricks　himself；　but　he　was　an　interested　spectator　of　those　done　by　several　others　until　Ruth　came　over　and　touched　his　arm。

‘Aren't　you　coming？'

‘Wait　a　minute；　can't　you？'　cried　Easton　roughly。　　‘What's　your　hurry？'

‘I　don't　want　to　stay　here　any　longer；'　said　Ruth；　hysterically。　　‘You　said　you'd　come　as　soon　as　you　saw　that　trick。　　If　you　don't　come；　I　shall　go　home　by　myself。　　I　don't　want　to　stay　in　this　place　any　longer。'

‘Well；　go　by　yourself　if　you　want　to！'　shouted　Easton　fiercely；　pushing　her　away　from　him。　　‘I　shall　stop　'ere　as　long　as　I　please；　and　if　you　don't　like　it　you　can　do　the　other　thing。'

Ruth　staggered　and　nearly　fell　from　the　force　of　the　push　he　gave　her；　and　the　man　turned　again　to　the　table　to　watch　the　Semi…drunk；　who　was　arranging　six　matches　so　as　to　form　the　numeral　XII；　and　who　said　he　could　prove　that　this　was　equal　to　a　thousand。

Ruth　waited　a　few　minutes　longer；　and　then　as　Easton　took　no　further　notice　of　her；　she　took　up　the　string…bag　and　the　other　parcels；　and　without　staying　to　say　good　night　to　Mrs　Crass　…　who　was　earnestly　conversing　with　the　interesting　Partaker　…　she　with　some　difficulty　opened　the　door　and　went　out　into　the　street。　　The　cold　night　air　felt　refreshing　and　sweet　after　the　foul　atmosphere　of　the　public　house；　but　after　a　little　while　she　began　to　feel　faint　and　dizzy；　and　was　conscious　also　that　she　was　walking　unsteadily；　and　she　fancied　that　people　stared　at　her　strangely　as　they　passed。　　The　parcels　felt　very　heavy　and　awkward　to　carry；　and　the　string…bag　seemed　as　if　it　were　filled　with　lead。

Although　under　ordinary　circumstances　it　was　only　about　ten　minutes'　walk　home　from　here；　she　resolved　to　go　by　one　of　the　trams　which　passed　by　the　end　of　North　Street。　　With　this　intention；　she　put　down　her　bag　on　the　pavement　at　the　stopping…place；　and　waited；　resting　her　hand　on　the　iron　pillar　at　the　corner　of　the　street；　where　a　little　crowd　of　people　were　standing　evidently　with　the　same　object　as　herself。　　Two　trains　passed　without　stopping；　for　they　were　already　full　of　passengers；　a　common　circumstance　on　Saturday　nights。　　The　next　one　stopped；　and　several　persons　alighted；　and　then　ensued　a　fierce　struggle　amongst　the　waiting　crowd　for　the　vacant　seats。　　Men　and　women　pushed；　pulled　and　almost　fought；　shoving　their　fists　and　elbows　into　each　other's　sides　and　breasts　and　faces。　　Ruth　was　quickly　thrust　aside　and　nearly　knocked　down；　and　the　tram；　having　taken　aboard　as　many　passengers　as　it　had　accommodation　for；　passed　on。　　She　waited　for　the　next　one；　and　the　same　scene　was　enacted　with　the　same　result　for　her；　and　then；　reflecting　that　if　she　had　not　stayed　for　these　trains　she　might　have　been　home　by　now；　she　determined　to　resume　her　walk。　　The　parcels　felt　heavier　than　ever；　and　she　had　not　proceeded　very　far　before　she　was　compelled　to　put　the　bag　down　again　upon　the　pavement；　outside　an　empty　house。

Leaning　against　the　railings；　she　felt　very　tired　and　ill。　　Everything　around　her　…　the　street；　the　houses；　the　traffic　…　seemed　vague　and　shadowy　and　unreal。　　Several　people　looked　curiously　at　her　as　they　passed；　but　by　this　time　she　was　scarcely　conscious　of　their　scrutiny。

Slyme　had　gone　that　evening　to　the　usual　‘open…air'　conducted　by　the　Shining　Light　Mission。　　The　weather　being　fine；　they　had　a　most　successful　meeting；　the　disciples；　including　Hunter；　Rushton；　Sweater；　Didlum；　and　Mrs　Starvem　…　Ruth's　former　mistress　…　assembled　in　great　force　so　as　to　be　able　to　deal　more　effectively　with　any　infidels　or　hired　critics　or　drunken　scoffers　who　might　try　to　disturb　the　proceedings；　and　…　possibly　as　an　evidence　of　how　much　real　faith　there　was　in　them　…　they　had　also　arranged　to　have　a　police　officer　in　attendance；　to　protect　them　from　what　they　called　the　‘Powers　of　Darkness'。　　One　might　be　excused　for　thinking　that　…　if　they　really　believed　…　they　would　have　relied　rather　upon　those　powers　of　Light　which　they　professed　to　represent　on　this　planet　to　protect　them　without　troubling　to　call　in　the　aid　of　such　a　‘worldly'　force　as　the　police。　　However；　it　came　to　pass　that　on　this　occasion　the　only　infidels　present　were　those　who　were　conducting　the　meeting；　but　as　these　consisted　for　the　most　part　of　members　of　the　chapel；　it　will　be　seen　that　the　infidel　fraternity　was　strongly　represented。

On　his　way　home　after　the　meeting　Slyme　had　to　pass　by　the　‘Cricketers'　and　as　he　drew　near　the　place　he　wondered　if　Easton　was　there；　but　he　did　not　like　to　go　and　look　in；　because　he　was　afraid　someone　might　see　him　coming　away　and　perhaps　think　he　had　been　in　to　drink。　　Just　as　he　arrived　opposite　the　house　another　man　opened　the　door　of　the　public　bar　and　entered；　enabling　Slyme　to　catch　a　momentary　glimpse　of　the　interior；　where　he　saw　Easton　and　Crass　with　a　number　of　others　who　were　strangers　to　him；　laughing　and　drinking　together。

Slyme　hurried　away；　it　had　turned　very　cold；　and　he　was　anxious　to　get　home。　　As　he　approached　the　place　where　the　trams　stopped　to　take　up　passengers　and　saw　that　there　was　a　tram　in　sight　he　resolved　to　wait　for　it　and　ride　home：　but　when　the　tram　arrived　and　there　were　only　one　or　two　seats　vacant；　and　although　he　did　his　best　to　secure　one　of　these　he　was　unsuccessful；　and　after　a　moment's　hesitation　he　decided　that　it　would　be　quicker　to　walk　than　to　wait　for　the　next　one。　　He　accordingly　resumed　his　journey；　but　he　had　not　gone　very　far　when　he　saw　a　small　crowd　of　people　on　the　pavement　on　the　other　side　of　the　road　outside　an　unoccupied　house；　and　although　he　was　in　a　hurry　to　get　home　he　crossed　over　to　see　what　was　the　matter。　　There　were　about　twenty　people　standing　there；　and　in　the　centre　close　to　the　railing　there　were　three　or　four　women　whom　Slyme　could　not　see　although　he　could　hear　their　voices。

‘What's　up？'　he　inquired　of　a　man　on　the　edge　of　the　crowd。

‘Oh；　nothing　much；'　returned　the　other。　　‘Some　young　woman；　she's　either　ill；　come　over　faint；　or　something　…　or　else　she's　had　a　drop　too　much。'

‘Quite　a　respectable…looking　young　party；　too；'　said　another　man。

Several　young　fellows　in　the　crowd　were　amusing　themselves　by　making　suggestive　jokes　about　the　young　woman　and　causing　some　laughter　by　the　expressions　of　mock　sympathy。

‘Doesn't　anyone　know　who　she　is？'　said　the　second　man　who　had　spoken　in　reply　to　Slyme's　inquiry。

‘No；'　said　a　woman　who　was　standing　a　little　nearer　the　middle　of　the　crowd。　　‘And　she　won't　say　where　she　lives。'

‘She'll　be　all　right　now　she's　had　that　glass　of　soda；'　said　another　man；　elbowing　his　way　out　of　the　crowd。　　As　this　individual　came　out；　Slyme　managed　to　work　himself　a　little　further　into　the　group　of　people；　and　he　uttered　an　involuntary　cry　of　astonishment　as　he　caught　sight　of　Ruth；　very　pale；　and　looking　very　ill；　as　she　stood　clasping　one　of　the　railings　with　her　left　hand　and　holding　the　packages　of　groceries　in　the　other。　　She　had　by