the ragged trousered philanthropists-第147节

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ave　both　done　wrong；　that　each　of　you　has　something　to　forgive；　to　forgive　and　never　speak　of　it　again。'

Easton　made　no　reply　and　a　few　minutes　afterwards；　their　ways　diverging；　they　wished　each　other　‘Good　night'。

They　were　working　for　Rushton　…　painting　the　outside　of　a　new　conservatory　at　Mr　Sweater's　house；　‘The　Cave'。　　This　job　was　finished　the　next　day　and　at　four　o'clock　the　boy　brought　the　handcart；　which　they　loaded　with　their　ladders　and　other　materials。　　They　took　these　back　to　the　yard　and　then；　as　it　was　Friday　night；　they　went　up　to　the　front　shop　and　handed　in　their　time　sheets。　　Afterwards；　as　they　were　about　to　separate；　Easton　again　referred　to　the　subject　of　their　conversation　of　the　previous　evening。　　He　had　been　very　reserved　and　silent　all　day；　scarcely　uttering　a　word　except　when　the　work　they　had　been　engaged　in　made　it　necessary　to　do　so；　and　there　was　now　a　sort　of　catch　in　his　voice　as　he　spoke。

‘I've　been　thinking　over　what　you　said　last　night；　it's　quite　true。　I've　been　a　great　deal　to　blame。　　I　wrote　to　Ruth　last　night　and　admitted　it　to　her。　　I'll　take　it　as　a　favour　if　you　and　your　wife　will　say　what　you　can　to　help　me　get　her　back。'

Owen　stretched　out　his　hand　and　as　the　other　took　it；　said：　‘You　may　rely　on　us　both　to　do　our　best。'



Chapter　51

The　Widow's　Son


The　next　morning　when　they　went　to　the　yard　at　half　past　eight　o'clock　Hunter　told　them　that　there　was　nothing　to　do；　but　that　they　had　better　come　on　Monday　in　case　some　work　came　in。　　They　accordingly　went　on　the　Monday；　and　Tuesday　and　Wednesday；　but　as　nothing　‘came　in'　of　course　they　did　not　do　any　work。　　On　Thursday　morning　the　weather　was　dark　and　bitterly　cold。　　The　sky　presented　an　unbroken　expanse　of　dull　grey　and　a　keen　north　wind　swept　through　the　cheerless　streets。　　Owen　…　who　had　caught　cold　whilst　painting　the　outside　of　the　conservatory　at　Sweater's　house　the　previous　week　…　did　not　get　to　the　yard　until　ten　o'clock。　　He　felt　so　ill　that　he　would　not　have　gone　at　all　if　they　had　not　needed　the　money　he　would　be　able　to　earn　if　there　was　anything　to　do。　　Strange　though　it　may　appear　to　the　advocates　of　thrift；　although　he　had　been　so　fortunate　as　to　be　in　employment　when　so　many　others　were　idle；　they　had　not　saved　any　money。　　On　the　contrary；　during　all　the　summer　they　had　not　been　able　to　afford　to　have　proper　food　or　clothing。　　Every　week　most　of　the　money　went　to　pay　arrears　of　rent　or　some　other　debts；　so　that　even　whilst　he　was　at　work　they　had　often　to　go　without　some　of　the　necessaries　of　life。　　They　had　broken　boots；　shabby；　insufficient　clothing；　and　barely　enough　to　eat。

The　weather　had　become　so　bitterly　cold　that；　fearing　he　would　be　laid　up　if　he　went　without　it　any　longer；　he　took　his　overcoat　out　of　pawn；　and　that　week　they　had　to　almost　starve。　　Not　that　it　was　much　better　other　weeks；　for　lately　he　had　only　been　making　six　and　a　half　hours　a　day　…　from　eight…thirty　in　the　morning　till　four　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　on　Saturday　only　four　and　a　half　hours　…　from　half　past　eight　till　one。　　This　made　his　wages　…　at　sevenpence　an　hour　…　twenty…one　shillings　and　sevenpence　a　week　…　that　is；　when　there　was　work　to　do　every　day；　which　was　not　always。　　Sometimes　they　had　to　stand　idle　three　days　out　of　six。　　The　wages　of　those　who　got　sixpence　halfpenny　came　out　at　one　pound　and　twopence　…　when　they　worked　every　day　…　and　as　for　those　who　…　like　Sawkins　…　received　only　fivepence；　their　week's　wages　amounted　to　fifteen　and　sixpence。

When　they　were　only　employed　for　two　or　three　days　or　perhaps　only　a　few　hours；　their　‘Saturday　night'　sometimes　amounted　to　half　a　sovereign；　seven　and　sixpence；　five　shillings　or　even　less。　　Then　most　of　them　said　that　it　was　better　than　nothing　at　all。

Many　of　them　were　married　men；　so；　in　order　to　make　existence　possible；　their　wives　went　out　charing　or　worked　in　laundries。　　They　had　children　whom　they　had　to　bring　up　for　the　most　part　on　‘skim'　milk；　bread；　margarine；　and　adulterated　tea。　　Many　of　these　children　…　little　mites　of　eight　or　nine　years　…　went　to　work　for　two　or　three　hours　in　the　morning　before　going　to　school；　the　same　in　the　evening　after　school；　and　all　day　on　Saturday；　carrying　butchers'　trays　loaded　with　meat；　baskets　of　groceries　and　vegetables；　cans　of　paraffin　oil；　selling　or　delivering　newspapers；　and　carrying　milk。　　As　soon　as　they　were　old　enough　they　got　Half　Time　certificates　and　directly　they　were　fourteen　they　left　school　altogether　and　went　to　work　all　the　day。　When　they　were　old　enough　some　of　them　tried　to　join　the　Army　or　Navy；　but　were　found　physically　unfit。

It　is　not　much　to　be　wondered　at　that　when　they　became　a　little　older　they　were　so　degenerate　intellectually　that　they　imagined　that　the　surest　way　to　obtain　better　conditions　would　be　to　elect　gangs　of　Liberal　and　Tory　land…grabbers；　sweaters；　swindlers　and　lawyers　to　rule　over　them。

When　Owen　arrived　at　the　yard　he　found　Bert　White　cleaning　out　the　dirty　pots　in　the　paint…shop。　　The　noise　he　made　with　the　scraping　knife　prevented　him　from　hearing　Owen's　approach　and　the　latter　stood　watching　him　for　some　minutes　without　speaking。　　The　stone　floor　of　the　paint　shop　was　damp　and　shiny　and　the　whole　place　was　chilly　as　a　tomb。　　The　boy　was　trembling　with　cold　and　he　looked　pitifully　undersized　and　frail　as　he　bent　over　his　work　with　an　old　apron　girt　about　him。　　Because　it　was　so　cold　he　was　wearing　his　jacket　with　the　ends　of　the　sleeves　turned　back　to　keep　them　clean；　or　to　prevent　them　getting　any　dirtier；　for　they　were　already　in　the　same　condition　as　the　rest　of　his　attire；　which　was　thickly　encrusted　with　dried　paint　of　many　colours；　and　his　hands　and　fingernails　were　grimed　with　it。

As　he　watched　the　poor　boy　bending　over　his　task；　Owen　thought　of　Frankie；　and　with　a　feeling　akin　to　terror　wondered　whether　he　would　ever　be　in　a　similar　plight。

When　he　saw　Owen；　the　boy　left　off　working　and　wished　him　good　morning；　remarking　that　it　was　very　cold。

‘Why　don't　you　light　a　fire？　　There's　lots　of　wood　lying　about　the　yard。'

‘No；'　said　Bert　shaking　his　head。　　‘That　would　never　do！　　Misery　wouldn't　'arf　ramp　if　'e　caught　me　at　it。　　I　used　to　'ave　a　fire　'ere　last　winter　till　Rushton　found　out；　and　'e　kicked　up　an　orful　row　and　told　me　to　move　meself　and　get　some　work　done　and　then　I　wouldn't　feel　the　cold。'

‘Oh；　he　said　that；　did　he？'　said　Owen；　his　pale　face　becoming　suddenly　suffused　with　blood。　　‘We'll　see　about　that。'

He　went　out　into　the　yard　and　crossing　over　to　where　…　under　a　shed　…　there　was　a　great　heap　of　waste　wood；　stuff　that　had　been　taken　out　of　places　where　Rushton　&　Co。　had　made　alterations；　he　gathered　an　armful　of　it　and　was　returning　to　the　paintshop　when　Sawkins　accosted　him。

‘You　mustn't　go　burnin'　any　of　that；　you　know！　　That's　all　got　to　be　saved　and　took　up　to　the　bloke's　house。　　Misery　spoke　about　it　only　this　mornin'。'

Owen　did　not　answer　him。　　He　carried　the　wood　into　the　shop　and　after　throwing　it　into　the　fireplace　he　poured　some　old　paint　over　it；　and；　applying　a　match；　produced　a　roaring　fire。　　Then　he　brought　in　several　more　armfuls　of　wood　and　piled　them　in　a　corner　of　the　shop。　　Bert　took　no　part　in　these　proceedings；　and　at　first　rather　disapproved　of　them　because　he　was　afraid　there　would　be　trouble　when　Misery　came；　but　when　the　fire　was　an　accomplished　fact　he　warmed　his　hands　and　shifted　his　work　to　the　other　side　of　the　bench　so　as　to　get　the　benefit　of　the　heat。

Owen　waited　for　about　half　an　hour　to　see　if　Hunter　would　return；　but　as　that　disciple　did　not　appear；　he　decided　not　to　wait　any　longer。　Before　leaving　he　gave　Bert　some　instructions：

‘Keep　up　the　fire　with　all　the　old　paint　that　you　can　scrape　off　those　things　and　any　other　old　paint　or　rubbish　that's　here；　and　whenever　it　grows　dull　put　more　wood　on。　　There's　a　lot　of　old　stuff　here　that's　of　no　use　except　to　be　thrown　away　or　burnt。　　Burn　it　all。　　If　Hunter　says　anything；　tell　him　that　I　lit　the　fire；　and　that　I　told　you　to　keep　it　burning。　　If　you　want　more　wood；　go　out　and　take　it。'

‘All　right；'　replied　Bert。

On　his　way　out　Owen　spoke　to　Sawkins。　　His　manner　was　so　menacing；　his　face　so　pale；　and　there　was　such　a　strange　glare　in　his　eyes；　that　the　latter　thought　of　the　talk　there　had　been　about　Owen　being　mad；　and　felt　half　afraid　of　him。

‘I　am　going　to　the　office　to　see　Rushton；　if　Hunter　comes　here；　you　say　I　told　you　to　tell　him　that　if　I　find　the　boy　in　that　shop　again　without　a　fire；　I'll　report　it　to　the　Society　for　the　Prevention　of　Cruelty　to　Children。　　And　as　for　you；　if　the　boy　comes　out　here　to　get　more　wood；　don't　you　attempt　to　interfere　with　him。'

‘I　don't　want　to　interfere　with　the　bloody　kid；'　grunted　Sawkins。　　‘It　seems　to　me　as　if　he's　gorn　orf　'is　bloody　crumpet；'　he　added　as　he　watched　Owen　walking　rapidly　down　the　street。　　‘I　can't　understand　why　people　can't　mind　their　own　bloody　business：　anyone　would　think　the　boy　belonged　to　'IM。'

That　was　just　how　the　matter　presented　itself　to　Owen。　　The　idea　that　it　was　his　own　child　who　was　to　be　treated　in　this　way　possessed　and　infuriated　him　as　he　strode　savagely　along。　　In　the　vicinity　of　the　Slave　Market　on　the　Grand　Parade　he　passed　…　without　seei