the ragged trousered philanthropists-第94部分

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he　had　them　taken　to　the　yard　along　with　the　old　brass；　which　was　worth　about　fourpence　a　pound。

There　was　another　house　that　had　to　be　painted　inside：　the　people　who　used　to　live　there　had　only　just　left：　they　had　moved　to　some　other　town；　and　the　house　had　been　re…let　before　they　vacated　it。　　The　new　tenant　had　agreed　with　the　agent　that　the　house　was　to　be　renovated　throughout　before　he　took　possession。

The　day　after　the　old　tenants　moved　away；　the　agent　gave　Rushton　the　key　so　that　he　could　go　to　see　what　was　to　be　done　and　give　an　estimate　for　the　work。

While　Rushton　and　Misery　were　looking　over　the　house　they　discovered　a　large　barometer　hanging　on　the　wall　behind　the　front　door：　it　had　been　overlooked　by　those　who　removed　the　furniture。　　Before　returning　the　key　to　the　agent；　Rushton　sent　one　of　his　men　to　the　house　for　the　barometer；　which　he　kept　in　his　office　for　a　few　weeks　to　see　if　there　would　be　any　inquiries　about　it。　　If　there　had　been；　it　would　have　been　easy　to　say　that　he　had　brought　it　there　for　safety　…　to　take　care　of　till　he　could　find　the　owner。　　The　people　to　whom　it　belonged　thought　the　thing　had　been　lost　or　stolen　in　transit；　and　afterwards　one　of　the　workmen　who　had　assisted　to　pack　and　remove　the　furniture　was　dismissed　from　his　employment　on　suspicion　of　having　had　something　to　do　with　its　disappearance。　　No　one　ever　thought　of　Rushton　in　connection　with　the　matter；　so　after　about　a　month　he　had　it　taken　to　his　own　dwelling　and　hung　up　in　the　hall　near　the　carved　oak　marble…topped　console　table　that　he　had　sneaked　last　summer　from　596　Grand　Parade。

And　there　it　hangs　unto　this　day：　and　close　behind　it；　supported　by　cords　of　crimson　silk；　is　a　beautiful　bevelled…edged　card　about　a　foot　square；　and　upon　this　card　is　written；　in　letters　of　gold：　‘Christ　is　the　head　of　this　house；　the　unseen　Guest　at　every　meal；　the　silent　Listener　to　every　conversation。'

And　on　the　other　side　of　the　barometer　is　another　card　of　the　same　kind　and　size　which　says：　‘As　for　me　and　my　house　we　will　serve　the　Lord。'

From　another　place　they　stole　two　large　brass　chandeliers。　　This　house　had　been　empty　for　a　very　long　time；　and　its　owner　…　who　did　not　reside　in　the　town　…　wished　to　sell　it。　　The　agent；　to　improve　the　chances　of　a　sale；　decided　to　have　the　house　overhauled　and　redecorated。　　Rushton　&　Co。's　tender　being　the　lowest；　they　got　the　work。　　The　chandeliers　in　the　drawing…room　and　the　dining…room　were　of　massive　brass；　but　they　were　all　blackened　and　tarnished。　　Misery　suggested　to　the　agent　that　they　could　be　cleaned　and　relacquered；　which　would　make　them　equal　to　new：　in　fact；　they　would　be　better　than　new　ones；　for　such　things　as　these　were　not　made　now；　and　for　once　Misery　was　telling　the　truth。　　The　agent　agreed　and　the　work　was　done：　it　was　an　extra；　of　course；　and　as　the　firm　got　twice　as　much　for　the　job　as　they　paid　for　having　it　done；　they　were　almost　satisfied。

When　this　and　all　the　other　work　was　finished　they　sent　in　their　account　and　were　paid。

Some　months　afterwards　the　house　was　sold；　and　Nimrod　interviewed　the　new　proprietor　with　the　object　of　securing　the　order　for　any　work　that　he　might　want　done。　　He　was　successful。　　The　papers　on　the　walls　of　several　of　the　rooms　were　not　to　the　new　owner's　taste；　and；　of　course；　the　woodwork　would　have　to　be　re…painted　to　harmonize　with　the　new　paper。　　There　was　a　lot　of　other　work　besides　this：　a　new　conservatory　to　build；　a　more　modern　bath　and　heating　apparatus　to　be　put　in；　and　the　electric　light　to　be　installed；　the　new　people　having　an　objection　to　the　use　of　gas。

The　specifications　were　prepared　by　an　architect；　and　Rushton　secured　the　work。　　When　the　chandeliers　were　taken　down；　the　men；　instructed　by　Misery；　put　them　on　a　handcart；　and　covered　them　over　with　sacks　and　dust…sheets　and　took　them　to　the　front　shop；　where　they　were　placed　for　sale　with　the　other　stock。

When　all　the　work　at　the　house　was　finished；　it　occurred　to　Rushton　and　Nimrod　that　when　the　architect　came　to　examine　and　pass　the　work　before　giving　them　the　certificate　that　would　enable　them　to　present　their　account；　he　might　remember　the　chandeliers　and　inquire　what　had　become　of　them。　　So　they　were　again　placed　on　the　handcart；　covered　with　sacks　and　dust…sheets；　taken　back　to　the　house　and　put　up　in　the　loft　under　the　roof　so　that；　if　he　asked　for　them；　there　they　were。

The　architect　came；　looked　ever　the　house；　passed　the　work；　and　gave　his　certificate；　he　never　mentioned　or　thought　of　the　chandeliers。　The　owner　of　the　house　was　present　and　asked　for　Rushton's　bill；　for　which　he　at　once　gave　them　a　cheque　and　Rushton　and　Misery　almost　grovelled　and　wallowed　on　the　ground　before　him。　　Throughout　the　whole　interview　the　architect　and　the　‘gentleman'　had　kept　their　hats　on；　but　Rushton　and　Nimrod　had　been　respectfully　uncovered　all　the　time；　and　as　they　followed　the　other　two　about　the　house　their　bearing　had　been　expressive　of　the　most　abject　servility。

When　the　architect　and　the　owner　were　gone　the　two　chandeliers　were　taken　down　again　from　under　the　roof；　and　put　upon　a　handcart；　covered　over　with　sacks　and　dust…sheets　and　taken　back　to　the　shop　and　again　placed　for　sale　with　the　other　stock。

These　are　only　a　few　of　the　petty　thefts　committed　by　these　people。　To　give　anything　approaching　a　full　account　of　all　the　rest　would　require　a　separate　volume。



As　a　result　of　all　the　hurrying　and　scamping；　every　now　and　again　the　men　found　that　they　had　worked　themselves　out　of　a　job。

Several　times　during　the　summer　the　firm　had　scarcely　anything　to　do；　and　nearly　everybody　had　to　stand　off　for　a　few　days　or　weeks。

When　Newman　got　his　first　start　in　the　early　part　of　the　year　he　had　only　been　working　for　about　a　fortnight　when　…　with　several　others　…　he　was　‘stood　off'。　　Fortunately；　however；　the　day　after　he　left　Rushtons；　he　was　lucky　enough　to　get　a　start　for　another　firm；　Driver　and　Botchit；　where　he　worked　for　nearly　a　month；　and　then　he　was　again　given　a　job　at　Rushton's；　who　happened　to　be　busy　again。

He　did　not　have　to　lose　much　time；　for　he　‘finished　up'　for　Driver　and　Botchit　on　a　Thursday　night　and　on　the　Friday　he　interviewed　Misery；　who　told　him　they　were　about　to　commence　a　fresh　‘jab'　on　the　following　Monday　morning　at　six　o'clock；　and　that　he　could　start　with　them。　　So　this　time　Newman　was　only　out　of　work　the　Friday　and　Saturday；　which　was　another　stroke　of　luck；　because　it　often　happens　that　a　man　has　to　lose　a　week　or　more　after　‘finishing　up'　for　one　firm　before　he　gets　another　‘job'。

All　through　the　summer　Crass　continued　to　be　the　general　‘colour…man'；　most　of　his　time　being　spent　at　the　shop　mixing　up　colours　for　all　the　different　‘jobs'。　　He　also　acted　as　a　sort　of　lieutenant　to　Hunter；　who；　as　the　reader　has　already　been　informed；　was　not　a　practical　painter。　　When　there　was　a　price　to　be　given　for　some　painting　work；　Misery　sometimes　took　Crass　with　him　to　look　over　it　and　help　him　to　estimate　the　amount　of　time　and　material　it　would　take。　　Crass　was　thus　in　a　position　of　more　than　ordinary　importance；　not　only　being　superior　to　the　‘hands'；　but　also　ranking　above　the　other　sub…foremen　who　had　charge　of　the　‘jobs'。

It　was　Crass　and　these　sub…foremen　who　were　to　blame　for　most　of　the　scamping　and　driving；　because　if　it　had　not　been　for　them　neither　Rushton　nor　Hunter　would　have　known　how　to　scheme　the　work。

Of　course；　Hunter　and　Rushton　wanted　to　drive　and　scamp；　but　not　being　practical　men　they　would　not　have　known　how　if　it　had　not　been　for　Crass　and　the　others；　who　put　them　up　to　all　the　tricks　of　the　trade。

Crass　knew　that　when　the　men　stayed　till　half　past　seven　they　were　in　the　habit　of　ceasing　work　for　a　few　minutes　to　eat　a　mouthful　of　grub　about　six　o'clock；　so　he　suggested　to　Misery　that　as　it　was　not　possible　to　stop　this；　it　would　be　a　good　plan　to　make　the　men　stop　work　altogether　from　half　past　five　till　six；　and　lose　half　an　hour's　pay；　and　to　make　up　the　time；　instead　of　leaving　off　at　seven…thirty；　they　could　work　till　eight。

Misery　had　known　of　and　winked　at　the　former　practice；　for　he　knew　that　the　men　could　not　work　all　that　time　without　something　to　eat；　but　Crass's　suggestion　seemed　a　much　better　way；　and　it　was　adopted。

When　the　other　masters　in　Mugsborough　heard　of　this　great　reform　they　all　followed　suit；　and　it　became　the　rule　in　that　town；　whenever　it　was　necessary　to　work　overtime；　for　the　men　to　stay　till　eight　instead　of　half　past　seven　as　formerly；　and　they　got　no　more　pay　than　before。

Previous　to　this　summer　it　had　been　the　almost　invariable　rule　to　have　two　men　in　each　room　that　was　being　painted；　but　Crass　pointed　out　to　Misery　that　under　such　circumstances　they　wasted　time　talking　to　each　other；　and　they　also　acted　as　a　check　on　one　another：　each　of　them　regulated　the　amount　of　work　he　did　by　the　amount　the　other　did；　and　if　the　‘job'　took　too　long　it　was　always　difficult　to　decide　which　of　the　two　was　to　blame：　but　if　they　were　made　to　work　alone；　each　of　them　would　be　on　his　mettle；　he　would　not　know　how　much　the　others　were　doing；　and　the　fear　of　being　considered　slow　in　comparison　with　others　would　make　them　all　tear　into　it　all　they　could。

Misery　thought　this　a　very　good　idea；　so　the　solitary　system　was　introduced；　and　as　far　as　practicable；　one　room；　one　man　became　the　rule。

They　even　tried　to　make　the　men　distemper　large　ceilings　single…handed；　and　succeeded　in　one　or　two　cases；　but　after　several　ceilings　had　been　spoilt　and　had　to　be　washed　off　and　done　over　again；　they　gave　that　up：　but　nearly　all　the　other　work　was　now　arranged　on　the　‘solitary　system'；　and　it　worked　splendidly：　each　man　was　constantly　in　a　state　of　panic　as　to　whether　the　others　were　doing　more　work　than　himself。

Another　suggestion　that　Crass　made　to　Misery　was　that　the　sub…foremen　should　be　instructed　never　to　send　a　man　into　a　room　to　prepare　it　for　painting。

‘If　you　sends　a　man　into　a　room　to　get　it　ready；'　said　Crass；　‘'e　makes　a　meal　of　it！　　'E　spends　as　much　time　messin'　about　rubbin'　down　and　stoppin'　up　as　it　would　take　to　paint　it。　　But；'　he　added；　with　a　cunning　leer；　‘give　'em　a　bit　of　putty　and　a　little　bit　of　glass…paper；　and　the　paint　at　the　stand；　and　then　'e　gits　it　in　'i