the ragged trousered philanthropists-第103节

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id　not　matter　at　all；　because　even　if　the　man　fell　it　would　make　no　difference　to　the　firm　…　all　the　men　were　insured　and　somehow　or　other；　although　they　frequently　had　narrow　escapes；　they　did　not　often　come　to　grief。

On　this　occasion；　just　as　Easton　was　finishing　he　felt　the　pinnacle　that　he　was　holding　on　to　give　way；　and　he　got　such　a　fright　that　his　heart　nearly　stopped　beating。　　He　let　go　his　hold　and　steadied　himself　on　the　ladder　as　well　as　he　was　able；　and　when　he　had　descended　three　or　four　steps　…　into　comparative　safety　…　he　remained　clinging　convulsively　to　the　ladder　and　feeling　so　limp　that　he　was　unable　to　go　down　any　further　for　several　minutes。　　When　he　arrived　at　the　bottom　and　the　others　noticed　how　white　and　trembling　he　was；　he　told　them　about　the　pinnacle　being　loose；　and　the　‘coddy'　coming　along　just　then；　they　told　him　about　it；　and　suggested　that　it　should　be　repaired；　as　otherwise　it　might　fall　down　and　hurt　someone：　but　the　‘coddy'　was　afraid　that　if　they　reported　it　they　might　be　blamed　for　breaking　it；　and　the　owner　might　expect　the　firm　to　put　it　right　for　nothing；　so　they　decided　to　say　nothing　about　it。　　The　pinnacle　is　stilt　on　the　apex　of　the　steeple　waiting　for　a　sufficiently　strong　wind　to　blow　it　down　on　somebody's　head。

When　the　other　men　heard　of　Easton's　‘narrow　shave'；　most　of　them　said　that　it　would　have　served　him　bloody　well　right　if　he　had　fallen　and　broken　his　neck：　he　should　have　refused　to　go　up　at　all　without　a　proper　scaffold。　　That　was　what　THEY　would　have　done。　　If　Misery　or　the　coddy　had　ordered　any　of　THEM　to　go　up　and　paint　the　pinnacle　off　that　ladder；　they　would　have　chucked　their　tools　down　and　demanded　their　ha'pence！

That　was　what　they　said；　but　somehow　or　other　it　never　happened　that　any　of　them　ever　‘chucked　their　tools　down'　at　all；　although　such　dangerous　jobs　were　of　very　frequent　occurrence。

The　scamping　business　was　not　confined　to　houses　or　properties　of　an　inferior　class：　it　was　the　general　rule。　　Large　good…class　houses；　villas　and　mansions；　the　residences　of　wealthy　people；　were　done　in　exactly　the　same　way。　　Generally　in　such　places　costly　and　beautiful　materials　were　spoilt　in　the　using。

There　was　a　large　mansion　where　the　interior　woodwork　…　the　doors；　windows　and　staircase　…　had　to　be　finished　in　white　enamel。　　It　was　rather　an　old　house　and　the　woodwork　needed　rubbing　down　and　filling　up　before　being　repainted；　but　of　course　there　was　not　time　for　that；　so　they　painted　it　without　properly　preparing　it　and　when　it　was　enamelled　the　rough；　uneven　surface　of　the　wood　looked　horrible：　but　the　owner　appeared　quite　satisfied　because　it　was　nice　and　shiny。　　The　dining…room　of　the　same　house　was　papered　with　a　beautiful　and　expensive　plush　paper。　　The　ground　of　this　wall…hanging　was　made　to　imitate　crimson　watered　silk；　and　it　was　covered　with　a　raised　pattern　in　plush　of　the　same　colour。　　The　price　marked　on　the　back　of　this　paper　in　the　pattern　book　was　eighteen　shillings　a　roll。　　Slyme　was　paid　sixpence　a　roll　for　hanging　it：　the　room　took　ten　rolls；　so　it　cost　nine　pounds　for　the　paper　and　five　shillings　to　hang　it！　　To　fix　such　a　paper　as　this　properly　the　walls　should　first　be　done　with　a　plain　lining　paper　of　the　same　colour　as　the　ground　of　the　wallpaper　itself；　because　unless　the　paperhanger　‘lapps'　the　joints　…　which　should　not　be　done　…　they　are　apt　to　open　a　little　as　the　paper　dries　and　to　show　the　white　wall　underneath　…　Slyme　suggested　this　lining　to　Misery；　who　would　not　entertain　the　idea　for　a　moment　…　they　had　gone　to　quite　enough　expense　as　it　was；　stripping　the　old　paper　off！

So　Slyme　went　ahead；　and　as　he　had　to　make　his　wages；　he　could　not　spend　a　great　deal　of　time　over　it。　　Some　of　the　joints　were　‘lapped'　and　some　were　butted；　and　two　or　three　weeks　after　the　owner　of　the　house　moved　in；　as　the　paper　became　more　dry；　the　joints　began　to　open　and　to　show　the　white　plaster　of　the　wall；　and　then　Owen　had　to　go　there　with　a　small　pot　of　crimson　paint　and　a　little　brush；　and　touch　out　the　white　line。

While　he　was　doing　this　he　noticed　and　touched　up　a　number　of　other　faults；　places　where　Slyme　…　in　his　haste　to　get　the　work　done　…　had　slobbered　and　smeared　the　face　of　the　paper　with　fingermarks　and　paste。

The　same　ghastly　mess　was　made　of　several　other　‘jobs'　besides　this　one；　and　presently　they　adopted　the　plan　of　painting　strips　of　colour　on　the　wall　in　the　places　where　the　joints　would　come；　so　that　if　they　opened　the　white　wall　would　not　show：　but　it　was　found　that　the　paste　on　the　back　of　the　paper　dragged　the　paint　off　the　wall；　and　when　the　joints　opened　the　white　streaks　showed　all　the　same；　so　Misery　abandoned　all　attempts　to　prevent　joints　showing；　and　if　a　customer　complained；　he　sent　someone　to　‘touch　it　up'：　but　the　lining　paper　was　never　used；　unless　the　customer　or　the　architect　knew　enough　about　the　work　to　insist　upon　it。

In　other　parts　of　the　same　house　the　ceilings；　the　friezes；　and　the　dados；　were　covered　with　‘embossed'　or　‘relief'　papers。　　These　hangings　require　very　careful　handling；　for　the　raised　parts　are　easily　damaged；　but　the　men　who　fixed　them　were　not　allowed　to　take　the　pains　and　time　necessary　to　make　good　work：　consequently　in　many　places　…　especially　at　the　joints　…　the　pattern　was　flattened　out　and　obliterated。

The　ceiling　of　the　drawing…room　was　done　with　a　very　thick　high…relief　paper　that　was　made　in　sheets　about　two　feet　square。　　These　squares　were　not　very　true　in　shape：　they　had　evidently　warped　in　drying　after　manufacture：　to　make　them　match　anything　like　properly　would　need　considerable　time　and　care。　　But　the　men　were　not　allowed　to　take　the　necessary　time。　　The　result　was　that　when　it　was　finished　it　presented　a　sort　of　‘higgledy…piggledy'　appearance。　　But　it　didn't　matter：　nothing　seemed　to　matter　except　to　get　it　done。　　One　would　think　from　the　way　the　hands　were　driven　and　chivvied　and　hurried　over　the　work　that　they　were　being　paid　five　or　six　shillings　an　hour　instead　of　as　many　pence。

‘Get　it　done！'　shouted　Misery　from　morning　till　night。　　‘For　God's　sake　get　it　done！　　Haven't　you　finished　yet？　　We're　losing　money　over　this　〃job〃！　　If　you　chaps　don't　wake　up　and　move　a　bit　quicker；　I　shall　see　if　I　can't　get　somebody　else　who　will。'

These　costly　embossed　decorations　were　usually　finished　in　white；　but　instead　of　carefully　coating　them　with　specially　prepared　paint　of　patent　distemper；　which　would　need　two　or　three　coats；　they　slobbered　one　thick　coat　of　common　whitewash　on　to　it　with　ordinary　whitewash　brushes。

This　was　a　most　economical　way　to　get　over　it；　because　it　made　it　unnecessary　to　stop　up　the　joints　beforehand　…　the　whitewash　filled　up　all　the　cracks：　and　it　also　filled　up　the　hollow　parts；　the　crevices　and　interstices　of　the　ornament；　destroying　the　sharp　outlines　of　the　beautiful　designs　and　reducing　the　whole　to　a　lumpy；　formless　mass。　But　that　did　not　matter　either；　so　long　as　they　got　it　done。

The　architect　didn't　notice　it；　because　he　knew　that　the　more　Rushton　&　Co。　made　out　of　the　‘job'；　the　more　he　himself　would　make。

The　man　who　had　to　pay　for　the　work　didn't　notice　it；　he　had　the　fullest　confidence　in　the　architect。

At　the　risk　of　wearying　the　long…suffering　reader；　mention　must　be　made　of　an　affair　that　happened　at　this　particular　‘job'。

The　windows　were　all　fitted　with　venetian　blinds。　　The　gentleman　for　whom　all　the　work　was　being　done　had　only　just　purchased　the　house；　but　he　preferred　roller　blinds：　he　had　had　roller　blinds　in　his　former　residence　…　which　he　had　just　sold　…　and　as　these　roller　blinds　were　about　the　right　size；　he　decided　to　have　them　fitted　to　the　windows　of　his　new　house：　so　he　instructed　Mr　Rushton　to　have　all　the　venetian　blinds　taken　down　and　stored　away　up　in　the　loft　under　the　roof。　　Mr　Rushton　promised　to　have　this　done；　but　they　were　not　ALL　put　away　under　the　roof：　he　had　four　of　them　taken　to　his　own　place　and　fitted　up　in　the　conservatory。　　They　were　a　little　too　large；　so　they　had　to　be　narrowed　before　they　were　fixed。

The　sequel　was　rather　interesting；　for　it　happened　that　when　the　gentleman　attempted　to　take　the　roller　blinds　from　his　old　house；　the　person　to　whom　he　had　sold　it　refused　to　allow　them　to　be　removed；　claiming　that　when　he　bought　the　house；　he　bought　the　blinds　also。　There　was　a　little　dispute；　but　eventually　it　was　settled　that　way　and　the　gentleman　decided　that　he　would　have　the　venetian　blinds　in　his　new　house　after　all；　and　instructed　the　people　who　moved　his　furniture　to　take　the　venetians　down　again　from　under　the　roof；　and　refix　them；　and　then；　of　course；　it　was　discovered　that　four　of　the　blinds　were　missing。　　Mr　Rushton　was　sent　for；　and　he　said　that　he　couldn't　understand　it　at　all！　　The　only　possible　explanation　that　he　could　think　of　was　that　some　of　his　workmen　must　have　stolen　them！　　He　would　make　inquiries；　and　endeavour　to　discover　the　culprits；　but　in　any　case；　as　this　had　happened　while　things　were　in　his　charge；　if　he　did　not　succeed　in　recovering　them；　he　would　replace　them。

As　the　blinds　had　been　narrowed　to　fit　the　conservatory　he　had　to　have　four　new　ones　made。

The　customer　was　of　course　quite　satisfied；　although　very　sorry　for　Mr　Rushton。　　They　ha