Part 50 (1/2)

Slyme and Cra.s.s said nothing in reply to this. They wished that Newman would take himself off, because they did not want him to know where they were going.

However, Newman continued to accompany them and an awkward silence succeeded. He seemed to wish to say something more, and they both guessed what it was. So they walked along as rapidly as possible in order not to give him any encouragement. At last Newman blurted out:

'I suppose--you don't happen--either of you--to have a tanner you could lend me? I'll let you have it back--when I get a job.'

'I ain't mate,' replied Cra.s.s. 'I'm sorry; if I 'ad one on me, you should 'ave it, with pleasure.'

Slyme also expressed his regret that he had no money with him, and at the corner of the next street Newman--ashamed of having asked--wished them 'good night' and went away.

Slyme and Cra.s.s hurried along and presently arrived at Rushton & Co.'s shop. The windows were lit up with electric light, displaying an a.s.sortment of wallpapers, gas and electric light fittings, gla.s.s shades, globes, tins of enamel, paint and varnish. Several framed show-cards--'Estimates Free', 'First cla.s.s work only, at moderate charges', 'Only First Cla.s.s Workmen Employed' and several others of the same type. On one side wall of the window was a large s.h.i.+eld-shaped board covered with black velvet on which a number of bra.s.s fittings for coffins were arranged. The s.h.i.+eld was on an oak mount with the inscription: 'Funerals conducted on modern principles'.

Slyme waited outside while Cra.s.s went in. Mr Budd, the shopman, was down at the far end near the glazed part.i.tion which separated Mr Rushton's office from the front shop. As Cra.s.s entered, Budd--who was a pale-faced, unhealthy-looking, undersized youth about twenty years of age--looked round and, with a grimace, motioned him to walk softly.

Cra.s.s paused, wondering what the other meant; but the shopman beckoned him to advance, grinning and winking and jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the office. Cra.s.s hesitated, fearing that possibly the miserable Budd had gone--or been driven--out of his mind; but as the latter continued to beckon and grin and point towards the office Cra.s.s screwed up his courage and followed him behind one of the showcases, and applying his eye to a crack in the woodwork of the part.i.tion indicated by Budd, he could see Mr Rushton in the act of kissing and embracing Miss Wade, the young lady clerk. Cra.s.s watched them for some time and then whispered to Budd to call Slyme, and when the latter came they all three took turns at peeping through the crack in the part.i.tion.

When they had looked their fill they came out from behind the showcase, almost bursting with suppressed merriment. Budd reached down a key from where it was hanging on a hook on the wall and gave it to Cra.s.s and the two resumed their interrupted journey. But before they had proceeded a dozen yards from the shop, they were accosted by a short, elderly man with grey hair and a beard. This man looked about sixty-five years of age, and was very shabbily dressed. The ends of the sleeves of his coat were frayed and ragged, and the elbows were worn threadbare. His boots were patched, broken, and down at heel, and the knees and bottoms of the legs of his trousers were in the same condition as the sleeves of his coat. This man's name was Latham; he was a venetian blind maker and repairer. With his son, he was supposed to be 'in business' on his own account, but as most of their work was done for 'the trade', that is, for such firms as Rushton & Co., they would be more correctly described as men who did piecework at home.

He had been 'in business'--as he called it--for about forty years working, working, always working; and ever since his son became old enough to labour he had helped his father in the philanthropic task of manufacturing profits for the sweaters who employed them. They had been so busy running after work, and working for the benefit of others, that they had overlooked the fact that they were only earning a bare living for themselves and now, after forty years' hard labour, the old man was clothed in rags and on the verge of dest.i.tution.

'Is Rushton there?' he asked.

'Yes, I think so,' replied Cra.s.s, attempting to pa.s.s on; but the old man detained him.

'He promised to let us know about them blinds for ”The Cave”. We gave 'im a price for 'em about a month ago. In fact, we gave 'im two prices, because he said the first was too high. Five and six a set I asked 'im! take 'em right through the 'ole 'ouse! one with another--big and little. Two coats of paint, and new tapes and cords.

That wasn't too much, was it?'

'No,' said Cra.s.s, walking on; 'that was cheap enough!'

HE said it was too much,' continued Latham. 'Said as 'e could get 'em done cheaper! But I say as no one can't do it and make a living.'

As he walked along, talking, between Cra.s.s and Slyme, the old man became very excited.

'But we 'adn't nothing to do to speak of, so my son told 'im we'd do 'em for five bob a set, and 'e said 'e'd let us know, but we ain't 'eard nothing from 'im yet, so I thought I'd try and see 'im tonight.'

Well, you'll find 'im in there now,' said Slyme with a peculiar look, and walking faster. 'Good night.'

'I won't take 'em on for no less!' cried the old man as he turned back.

I've got my livin' to get, and my son's got 'is wife and little 'uns to keep. We can't work for nothing!'

'Certainly not,' said Cra.s.s, glad to get away at last. 'Good night, and good luck to you.'

As soon as they were out of hearing, they both burst out laughing at the old man's vehemence.

'Seemed quite upset about it,' said Slyme; and they laughed again.

They now left the main road and pursued their way through a number of badly lighted, mean-looking streets, and finally turning down a kind of alley, arrived at their destination. On one side of this street was a row of small houses; facing these were a number of buildings of a miscellaneous description--sheds and stables; and beyond these a plot of waste ground on which could be seen, looming weirdly through the dusk, a number of empty carts and waggons with their shafts resting on the ground or reared up into the air. Threading their way carefully through these and avoiding as much as possible the mud, pools of water, and rubbish which covered the ground, they arrived at a large gate fastened with a padlock. Applying the key, Cra.s.s swung back the gate and they found themselves in a large yard filled with building materials and plant, ladders, huge tressels, planks and beams of wood, hand-carts, and wheelbarrows, heaps of sand and mortar and innumerable other things that a.s.sumed strange fantastic shapes in the semi-darkness. Crates and packing cases, lengths of iron guttering and rain-pipes, old door-frames and other woodwork that had been taken from buildings where alterations had been made. And over all these things, a gloomy, indistinct and shapeless ma.s.s, rose the buildings and sheds that comprised Rushton & Co.'s workshop.

Cra.s.s struck a match, and Slyme, stooping down, drew a key from a crevice in the wall near one of the doors, which he unlocked, and they entered. Cra.s.s struck another match and lit the gas at the jointed bracket fixed to the wall. This was the paint-shop. At one end was a fireplace without a grate but with an iron bar fixed across the blackened chimney for the purpose of suspending pails or pots over the fire, which was usually made of wood on the hearthstone. All round the walls of the shop--which had once been whitewashed, but were now covered with smears of paint of every colour where the men had 'rubbed out' their brushes--were rows of shelves with kegs of paint upon them.

In front of the window was a long bench covered with an untidy litter of dirty paint-pots, including several earthenware mixing vessels or mortars, the sides of these being thickly coated with dried paint.

Scattered about the stone floor were a number of dirty pails, either empty or containing stale whitewash; and standing on a sort of low platform or shelf at one end of the shop were four large round tanks fitted with taps and labelled 'Boiled Oil', 'Turps', 'Linseed Oil', 'Turps Subst.i.tute'. The lower parts of the walls were discoloured with moisture. The atmosphere was cold and damp and foul with the sickening odours of the poisonous materials.