the ragged trousered philanthropists-第50部分

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‘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　something　to　do；　for　they　were　not　likely　to　take　on　a　fresh　man　while　some　of　their　regular　hands　were　idle。

For　the　last　month　he　had　forgotten　that　he　was　ill；　he　had　forgotten　that　when　the　work　at　‘The　Cave'　was　finished　he　would　have　to　stand　off　with　the　rest　of　the　hands。　　In　brief；　he　had　forgotten　for　the　time　being　that；　like　the　majority　of　his　fellow　workmen；　he　was　on　the　brink　of　destitution；　and　that　a　few　weeks　of　unemployment　or　idleness　meant　starvation。　　As　far　as　illness　was　concerned；　he　was　even　worse　off　than　most　others；　for　the　greater　number　of　them　were　members　of　some　sick　benefit　club；　but　Owen's　ill…health　rendered　him　ineligible　for　membership　of　such　societies。

As　he　walked　homewards　after　being　paid；　feeling　unutterably　depressed　and　weary；　he　began　once　more　to　think　of　the　future；　and　the　more　he　thought　of　it　the　more　dreadful　it　appeared。　　Even　looking　at　it　in　the　best　possible　light　…　supposing　he　did　not　fall　too　ill　to　work；　or　lose　his　employment　from　some　other　cause　…　what　was　there　to　live　for？　　He　had　been　working　all　this　week。　　These　few　coins　that　he　held　in　his　hand　were　the　result；　and　he　laughed　bitterly　as　he　thought　of　all　they　had　to　try　to　do　with　this　money；　and　of　all　that　would　have　to　be　left　undone。

As　he　turned　the　corner　of　Kerk　Street　he　saw　Frankie　coming　to　meet　him；　and　the　boy　catching　sight　of　him　at　the　same　moment　began　running　and　leapt　into　his　arms　with　a　joyous　whoop。

‘Mother　told　me　to　tell　you　to　buy　something　for　dinner　before　you　come　home；　because　there's　nothing　in　the　house。'

‘Did　she　tell　you　what　I　was　to　get？'

She　did　tell　me　something；　but　I　forget　what　it　was。　　But　I　know　she　said　to　get　anything　you　like　if　you　couldn't　get　what　she　told　me　to　tell　you。'

‘Well；　we'll　go　and　see　what　we　can　find；'　said　Owen。

‘If　I　were　you；　I'd　get　a　tin　of　salmon　or　some　eggs　and　bacon；'　suggested　Frankie　as　he　skipped　along　holding　his　father's　hand。　　‘We　don't　want　anything　that's　a　lot　of　trouble　to　cook；　you　know；　because　Mum's　not　very　well　today。'

‘Is　she　up？'

She's　been　up　all　the　morning；　but　she's　lying　down　now。　　We've　done　all　the　work；　though。　　While　she　was　making　the　beds　I　started　washing　up　the　cups　and　saucers　without　telling　her；　but　when　she　came　in　and　saw　what　a　mess　I'd　made　on　the　floor；　she　had　to　stop　me　doing　it；　and　she　had　to　change　nearly　all　my　clothes　as　well；　because　I　was　almost　wet　through；　but　I　managed　the　wiping　up　all　right　when　she　did　the　washing；　and　I　swept　the　passage　and　put　all　my　things　tidy　and　made　the　cat's　bed。　　And　that　just　reminds　me：　will　you　please　give　me　my　penny　now？　　I　promised　the　cat　that　I'd　bring　him　back　some　meat。'

Owen　complied　with　the　boy's　request；　and　while　the　latter　went　to　the　butcher's　for　the　meat；　Owen　went　into　the　grocer's　to　get　something　for　dinner；　it　being　arranged　that　they　were　to　meet　again　at　the　corner　of　the　street。　　Owen　was　at　the　appointed　place　first　and　after　waiting　some　time　and　seeing　no　sign　of　the　boy　he　decided　to　go　towards　the　butcher's　to　meet　him。　　When　he　came　in　sight　of　the　shop　he　saw　the　boy　standing　outside　in　earnest　conversation　with　the　butcher；　a　jolly…looking　stoutly　built　man；　with　a　very　red　face。　Owen　perceived　at　once　that　the　child　was　trying　to　explain　something；　because　Frankie　had　a　habit　of　holding　his　head　sideways　and　supplementing　his　speech　by　spreading　out　his　fingers　and　making　quaint　gestures　with　his　hands　whenever　he　found　it　difficult　to　make　himself　understood。　　The　boy　was　doing　this　now；　waving　one　hand　about　with　the　fingers　and　thumb　extended　wide；　and　with　the　other　flourishing　a　paper　parcel　which　evidently　contained　the　pieces　of　meat　。　Presently　the　man　laughed　heartily　and　after　shaking　hands　with　Frankie　went　into　the　shop　to　attend　to　a　customer；　and　Frankie　rejoined　his　father。

‘That　butcher's　a　very　decent　sort　of　chap；　you　know；　Dad；'　he　said。　‘He　wouldn't　take　a　penny　for　the　meat。'

‘Is　that　what　you　were　talking　to　him　about？'

No；　we　were　talking　about　Socialism