the ragged trousered philanthropists-第145节

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Sometimes　…　in　her　delirium　…　she　seemed　possessed　of　an　intense　and　terrible　loathing　for　the　poor　little　creature　she　had　brought　into　the　world；　and　was　with　difficulty　prevented　from　doing　it　violence。　Once　she　seized　it　cruelly　and　threw　it　fiercely　from　her　to　the　foot　of　the　bed；　as　if　it　had　been　some　poisonous　or　loathsome　thing。　　And　so　it　often　became　necessary　to　take　the　child　away　out　of　the　room；　so　that　she　could　not　see　or　hear　it；　but　when　her　senses　came　back　to　her；　her　first　thought　was　for　the　child；　and　there　must　have　been　in　her　mind　some　faint　recollection　of　what　she　had　said　and　done　in　her　madness；　for　when　she　saw　that　the　baby　was　not　in　its　accustomed　place　her　distress　and　alarm　were　painful　to　see；　as　she　entreated　them　with　tears　to　give　it　back　to　her。　　And　then　she　would　kiss　and　fondle　it　with　all　manner　of　endearing　words；　and　cry　bitterly。

Easton　did　not　see　or　hear　most　of　this；　he　only　knew　that　she　was　very　ill；　for　he　went　out　every　day　on　the　almost　hopeless　quest　for　work。　　Rushton's　had　next　to　nothing　to　do；　and　most　of　the　other　shops　were　in　a　similar　plight。　　Dauber　and　Botchit　had　one　or　two　jobs　going　on；　and　Easton　tried　several　times　to　get　a　start　for　them；　but　was　always　told　they　were　full　up。　　The　sweating　methods　of　this　firm　continued　to　form　a　favourite　topic　of　conversation　with　the　unemployed　workmen；　who　railed　at　and　cursed　them　horribly。　　It　had　leaked　out　that　they　were　paying　only　sixpence　an　hour　to　most　of　the　skilled　workmen　in　their　employment；　and　even　then　the　conditions　under　which　they　worked　were；　if　possible；　worse　than　those　obtaining　at　most　other　firms。　　The　men　were　treated　like　so　many　convicts；　and　every　job　was　a　hell　where　driving　and　bullying　reigned　supreme；　and　obscene　curses　and　blasphemy　polluted　the　air　from　morning　till　night。　The　resentment　of　those　who　were　out　of　work　was　directed；　not　only　against　the　heads　of　the　firm；　but　also　against　the　miserable；　half…starved　drudges　in　their　employment。　　These　poor　wretches　were　denounced　as　‘scabs'　and　‘wastrels'　by　the　unemployed　workmen　but　all　the　same；　whenever　Dauber　and　Botchit　wanted　some　extra　hands　they　never　had　any　difficulty　in　obtaining　them；　and　it　often　happened　that　those　who　had　been　loudest　and　bitterest　in　their　denunciations　were　amongst　the　first　to　rush　off　eagerly　to　apply　there　for　a　job　whenever　there　was　a　chance　of　getting　one。

Frequently　the　light　was　seen　burning　late　at　night　in　Rushton's　office；　where　Nimrod　and　his　master　were　figuring　out　prices　and　writing　out　estimates；　cutting　down　the　amounts　to　the　lowest　possible　point　in　the　hope　of　underbidding　their　rivals。　　Now　and　then　they　were　successful　but　whether　they　secured　the　work　or　not；　Nimrod　always　appeared　equally　miserable。　　If　they　got　the　‘job'　it　often　showed　such　a　small　margin　of　profit　that　Rushton　used　to　grumble　at　him　and　suggest　mismanagement。　　If　their　estimates　were　too　high　and　they　lost　the　work；　he　used　to　demand　of　Nimrod　why　it　was　possible　for　Dauber　and　Botchit　to　do　work　so　much　more　cheaply。

As　the　unemployed　workmen　stood　in　groups　at　the　corners　or　walked　aimlessly　about　the　streets；　they　often　saw　Hunter　pass　by　on　his　bicycle；　looking　worried　and　harassed。　　He　was　such　a　picture　of　misery；　that　it　began　to　be　rumoured　amongst　the　men；　that　he　had　never　been　the　same　since　the　time　he　had　that　fall　off　the　bike；　and　some　of　them　declared；　that　they　wouldn't　mind　betting　that　ole　Misery　would　finish　up　by　going　off　his　bloody　rocker。

At　intervals　…　whenever　a　job　came　in　…　Owen；　Crass；　Slyme；　Sawkins　and　one　or　two　others；　continued　to　be　employed　at　Rushton's；　but　they　seldom　managed　to　make　more　than　two　or　three　days　a　week；　even　when　there　was　anything　to　do。



Chapter　50

Sundered


During　the　next　few　weeks　Ruth　continued　very　ill。　　Although　the　delirium　had　left　her　and　did　not　return；　her　manner　was　still　very　strange；　and　it　was　remarkable　that　she　slept　but　little　and　at　long　intervals。　　Mrs　Owen　came　to　look　after　her　every　day；　not　going　back　to　her　own　home　till　the　evening。　　Frankie　used　to　call　for　her　as　he　came　out　of　school　and　then　they　used　to　go　home　together；　taking　little　Freddie　Easton　with　them　also；　for　his　own　mother　was　not　able　to　look　after　him　and　Mary　Linden　had　so　much　other　work　to　do。

On　Wednesday　evening；　when　the　child　was　about　five　weeks　old；　as　Mrs　Owen　was　wishing　her　good　night；　Ruth　took　hold　of　her　hand　and　after　saying　how　grateful　she　was　for　all　that　she　had　done；　she　asked　whether　…　supposing　anything　happened　to　herself　…　Nora　would　promise　to　take　charge　of　Freddie　for　Easton。　　Owen's　wife　gave　the　required　promise；　at　the　same　time　affecting　to　regard　the　supposition　as　altogether　unlikely；　and　assuring　her　that　she　would　soon　be　better；　but　she　secretly　wondered　why　Ruth　had　not　mentioned　the　other　child　as　well。

Nora　went　away　about　five　o'clock；　leaving　Ruth's　bedroom　door　open　so　that　Mrs　Linden　could　hear　her　call　if　she　needed　anything。　　About　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　Nora　and　the　two　children　had　gone；　Mary　Linden　went　upstairs　to　see　Ruth；　who　appeared　to　have　fallen　fast　asleep；　so　she　returned　to　her　needlework　downstairs。　　The　weather　had　been　very　cloudy　all　day；　there　had　been　rain　at　intervals　and　it　was　a　dark　evening；　so　dark　that　she　had　to　light　the　lamp　to　see　her　work。　　Charley　sat　on　the　hearthrug　in　front　of　the　fire　repairing　one　of　the　wheels　of　a　wooden　cart　that　he　had　made　with　the　assistance　of　another　boy；　and　Elsie　busied　herself　preparing　the　tea。

Easton　was　not　yet　home；　Rushton　&　Co。　had　a　few　jobs　to　do　and　he　had　been　at　work　since　the　previous　Thursday。　　The　place　where　he　was　working　was　some　considerable　distance　away；　so　it　was　nearly　half　past　six　when　he　came　home。　　They　heard　him　at　the　gate　and　at　her　mother's　direction　Elsie　went　quickly　to　the　front　door；　which　was　ajar；　to　ask　him　to　walk　as　quietly　as　possible　so　as　not　to　wake　Ruth。

Mary　had　prepared　the　table　for　his　tea　in　the　kitchen；　where　there　was　a　bright　fire　with　the　kettle　singing　on　the　hob。　　He　lit　the　lamp　and　after　removing　his　hat　and　overcoat；　put　the　kettle　on　the　fire　and　while　he　was　waiting　for　it　to　boil　he　went　softly　upstairs。　There　was　no　lamp　burning　in　the　bedroom　and　the　place　would　have　been　in　utter　darkness　but　for　the　red　glow　of　the　fire；　which　did　not　dispel　the　prevailing　obscurity　sufficiently　to　enable　him　to　discern　the　different　objects　in　the　room　distinctly。　　The　intense　silence　that　reigned　struck　him　with　a　sudden　terror。　　He　crossed　swiftly　over　to　the　bed　and　a　moment's　examination　sufficed　to　tell　him　that　it　was　empty。　　He　called　her　name；　but　there　was　no　answer；　and　a　hurried　search　only　made　it　certain　that　she　was　nowhere　in　the　house。

Mrs　Linden　now　remembered　what　Owen's　wife　had　told　her　of　the　strange　request　that　Ruth　had　made；　and　as　she　recounted　it　to　Easton；　his　fears　became　intensified　a　thousandfold。　　He　was　unable　to　form　any　opinion　of　the　reason　of　her　going　or　of　where　she　had　gone；　as　he　rushed　out　to　seek　for　her。　　Almost　unconsciously　he　directed　his　steps　to　Owen's　house；　and　afterwards　the　two　men　went　to　every　place　where　they　thought　it　possible　she　might　have　gone；　but　without　finding　any　trace　of　her。

Her　father　lived　a　short　distance　outside　the　town；　and　this　was　one　of　the　first　places　they　went　to；　although　Easton　did　not　think　it　likely　she　would　go　there；　for　she　had　not　been　on　friendly　terms　with　her　stepmother；　and　as　he　had　anticipated；　it　was　a　fruitless　journey。

They　sought　for　her　in　every　conceivable　place；　returning　often　to　Easton's　house　to　see　if　she　had　come　home；　but　they　found　no　trace　of　her；　nor　met　anyone　who　had　seen　her；　which　was；　perhaps；　because　the　dreary；　rain…washed　streets　were　deserted　by　all　except　those　whose　business　compelled　them　to　be　out。

About　eleven　o'clock　Nora　was　standing　at　the　front　door　waiting　for　Owen　and　Easton；　when　she　thought　she　could　discern　a　woman's　figure　in　the　shadow　of　the　piers　of　the　gate　opposite。　　It　was　an　unoccupied　house　with　a　garden　in　front；　and　the　outlines　of　the　bushes　it　contained　were　so　vague　in　the　darkness　that　it　was　impossible　to　be　certain；　but　the　longer　she　looked　the　more　convinced　she　became　that　there　was　someone　there。　　At　last　she　summoned　sufficient　courage　to　cross　over　the　road；　and　as　she　nervously　drew　near　the　gate　it　became　evident　that　she　had　not　been　mistaken。　　There　was　a　woman　standing　there　…　a　woman　with　a　child　in　her　arms；　leaning　against　one　of　the　pillars　and　holding　the　iron　bars　of　the　gate　with　her　left　hand。　　It　was　Ruth。　　Nora　recognized　her　even　in　the　semi…darkness。　　Her　attitude　was　one　of　extreme　exhaustion；　and　as　Nora　touched　her；　she　perceived　that　she　was　wet　through　and　trembling；　but　although　she　was　almost　fainting　with　fatigue　she　would　not　consent　to　go　indoors　until　repeatedly　assured　that　Easton　was　not　there；　and　that　Nora　would　not　let　him　see　her　if　he　came。　　And　when　at　length　she　yielded　and　went　into　the　house　she　would　not　sit　down　or　take　off　her　hat　or　jacket　until　…　crouching　on　the　floor　beside　Nora's　chair　with　her　face　hidden　in　the　latter's　lap　…　she　had　sobbed　out　her　pitiful　co