the ragged trousered philanthropists-第33章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



‘I've　brought　a　gentleman　to　see　you；'　said　Easton。

Although　she　knew　that　he　was　looking　out　for　someone　for　the　room；　Ruth　had　not　expected　him　to　bring　anyone　home　in　this　sudden　manner；　and　she　could　not　help　wishing　that　he　had　told　her　beforehand　of　his　intention。　　It　being　Monday；　she　had　been　very　busy　all　day　and　she　was　conscious　that　she　was　rather　untidy　in　her　appearance。　　Her　long　brown　hair　was　twisted　loosely　into　a　coil　behind　her　head。　　She　blushed　in　an　embarrassed　way　as　the　young　man　stared　at　her。

Easton　introduced　Slyme　by　name　and　they　shook　hands；　and　then　at　Ruth's　suggestion　Easton　took　a　light　to　show　him　the　room；　and　while　they　were　gone　Ruth　hurriedly　tidied　her　hair　and　dress。

When　they　came　down　again　Slyme　said　he　thought　the　room　would　suit　him　very　well。　　What　were　the　terms？

Did　he　wish　to　take　the　room　only　…　just　to　lodge？　inquired　Ruth；　or　would　he　prefer　to　board　as　well？

Slyme　intimated　that　he　desired　the　latter　arrangement。

In　that　case　she　thought　twelve　shillings　a　week　would　be　fair。　　She　believed　that　was　about　the　usual　amount。　　Of　course　that　would　include　washing；　and　if　his　clothes　needed　a　little　mending　she　would　do　it　for　him。

Slyme　expressed　himself　satisfied　with　these　terms；　which　were　as　Ruth　had　said　…　about　the　usual　ones。　　He　would　take　the　room；　but　he　was　not　leaving　his　present　lodgings　until　Saturday。　　It　was　therefore　agreed　that　he　was　to　bring　his　box　on　Saturday　evening。

When　he　had　gone；　Easton　and　Ruth　stood　looking　at　each　other　in　silence。　　Ever　since　this　plan　of　letting　the　room　first　occurred　to　them　they　had　been　very　anxious　to　accomplish　it；　and　yet；　now　that　it　was　done；　they　felt　dissatisfied　and　unhappy；　as　if　they　had　suddenly　experienced　some　irreparable　misfortune。　　In　that　moment　they　remembered　nothing　of　the　darker　side　of　their　life　together。　　The　hard　times　and　the　privations　were　far　off　and　seemed　insignificant　beside　the　fact　that　this　stranger　was　for　the　future　to　share　their　home。　　To　Ruth　especially　it　seemed　that　the　happiness　of　the　past　twelve　months　had　suddenly　come　to　an　end。　　She　shrank　with　involuntary　aversion　and　apprehension　from　the　picture　that　rose　before　her　of　the　future　in　which　this　intruder　appeared　the　most　prominent　figure；　dominating　everything　and　interfering　with　every　detail　of　their　home　life。　　Of　course　they　had　known　all　this　before；　but　somehow　it　had　never　seemed　so　objectionable　as　it　did　now；　and　as　Easton　thought　of　it　he　was　filled　an　unreasonable　resentment　against　Slyme；　as　if　the　latter　had　forced　himself　upon　them　against　their　will。

‘Damn　him！'　he　thought。　　‘I　wish　I'd　never　brought　him　here　at　all！'

Ruth　did　not　appear　to　him　to　be　very　happy　about　it　either。

‘Well？'　he　said　at　last。　　‘What　do　you　think　of　him？'

‘Oh；　he'll　be　all　right；　I　suppose。'

‘For　my　part；　I　wish　he　wasn't　coming；'　Easton　continued。

‘That's　just　what　I　was　thinking；'　replied　Ruth　dejectedly。　　‘I　don't　like　him　at　all。　　I　seemed　to　turn　against　him　directly　he　came　in　the　door。'

‘I've　a　good　mind　to　back　out　of　it；　somehow；　tomorrow；'　exclaimed　Easton　after　another　silence。　　‘I　could　tell　him　we've　unexpectedly　got　some　friends　coming　to　stay　with　us。'

‘Yes；'　said　Ruth　eagerly。　　‘It　would　be　easy　enough　to　make　some　excuse　or　other。'

As　this　way　of　escape　presented　itself　she　felt　as　if　a　weight　had　been　lifted　from　her　mind；　but　almost　in　the　same　instant　she　remembered　the　reasons　which　had　at　first　led　them　to　think　of　letting　the　room；　and　she　added；　disconsolately：

‘It's　foolish　for　us　to　go　on　like　this；　dear。　　We　must　let　the　room　and　it　might　just　as　well　be　him　as　anyone　else。　　We　must　make　the　best　of　it；　that's　all。'

Easton　stood　with　his　back　to　the　fire；　staring　gloomily　at　her。

‘Yes；　I　suppose　that's　the　right　way　to　look　at　it；'　he　replied　at　length。　　‘If　we　can't　stand　it；　we'll　give　up　the　house　and　take　a　couple　of　rooms；　or　a　small　flat　…　if　we　can　get　one。'

Ruth　agreed；　although　neither　alternative　was　very　inviting。　　The　unwelcome　alteration　in　their　circumstances　was　after　all　not　altogether　without　its　compensations；　because　from　the　moment　of　arriving　at　this　decision　their　love　for　each　other　seemed　to　be　renewed　and　intensified。　　They　remembered　with　acute　regret　that　hitherto　they　had　not　always　fully　appreciated　the　happiness　of　that　exclusive　companionship　of　which　there　now　remained　to　them　but　one　week　more。　　For　once　the　present　was　esteemed　at　its　proper　value；　being　invested　with　some　of　the　glamour　which　almost　always　envelops　the　past。



Chapter　13

Penal　Servitude　and　Death


On　Tuesday　…　the　day　after　his　interview　with　Rushton　…　Owen　remained　at　home　working　at　the　drawings。　　He　did　not　get　them　finished；　but　they　were　so　far　advanced　that　he　thought　he　would　be　able　to　complete　them　after　tea　on　Wednesday　evening。　　He　did　not　go　to　work　until　after　breakfast　on　Wednesday　and　his　continued　absence　served　to　confirm　the　opinion　of　the　other　workmen　that　he　had　been　discharged。　This　belief　was　further　strengthened　by　the　fact　that　a　new　hand　had　been　sent　to　the　house　by　Hunter；　who　came　himself　also　at　about　a　quarter　past　seven　and　very　nearly　caught　Philpot　in　the　act　of　smoking。

During　breakfast；　Philpot；　addressing　Crass　and　referring　to　Hunter；　inquired　anxiously：

‘'Ow's　'is　temper　this　mornin'；　Bob？'

‘As　mild　as　milk；'　replied　Crass。　　‘You'd　think　butter　wouldn't　melt　in　'is　mouth。'

‘Seemed　quite　pleased　with　'isself；　didn't　'e？'　said　Harlow。

‘Yes；'　remarked　Newman。　　‘'E　said　good　morning　to　me！'

‘So　'e　did　to　me！'　said　Easton。　　‘'E　come　inter　the　drorin'…room　an'　'e　ses；　〃Oh；　you're　in　'ere　are　yer；　Easton；〃　'e　ses　…　just　like　that；　quite　affable　like。　　So　I　ses；　〃Yes；　sir。〃　　〃Well；〃　'e　ses；　〃get　it　slobbered　over　as　quick　as　you　can；〃　'e　ses；　〃'cos　we　ain't　got　much　for　this　job：　don't　spend　a　lot　of　time　puttying　up。　　Just　smear　it　over　an'　let　it　go！〃'

‘'E　certinly　seemed　very　pleased　about　something；'　said　Harlow。　　‘I　thought　prap's　there　was　a　undertaking　job　in：　one　o'　them　generally　puts　'im　in　a　good　humour。'

‘I　believe　that　nothing　would　please　'im　so　much　as　to　see　a　epidemic　break　out；'　remarked　Philpot。　　‘Small…pox；　Hinfluenza；　Cholery　morbus；　or　anything　like　that。'

‘Yes：　don't　you　remember　'ow　good…tempered　'e　was　last　summer　when　there　was　such　a　lot　of　Scarlet　Fever　about？'　observed　Harlow。

‘Yes；'　said　Crass　with　a　chuckle。　　‘I　recollect　we　'ad　six　children's　funerals　to　do　in　one　week。　　Ole　Misery　was　as　pleased　as　Punch；　because　of　course　as　a　rule　there　ain't　many　boxin'…up　jobs　in　the　summer。　　It's　in　winter　as　hundertakers　reaps　their　'arvest。'

‘We　ain't　'ad　very　many　this　winter；　though；　so　far；'　said　Harlow。

‘Not　so　many　as　usual；'　admitted　Crass；　‘but　still；　we　can't　grumble：　we've　'ad　one　nearly　every　week　since　the　beginning　of　October。　That's　not　so　bad；　you　know。'

Crass　took　a　lively　interest　in　the　undertaking　department　of　Rushton　&　Co。's　business。　　He　always　had　the　job　of　polishing　or　varnishing　the　coffin　and　assisting　to　take　it　home　and　to　‘lift　in'　the　corpse；　besides　acting　as　one　of　the　bearers　at　the　funeral。　　This　work　was　more　highly　paid　for　than　painting。

‘But　I　don't　think　there's　no　funeral　job　in；'　added　Crass　after　a　pause。　　‘I　think　it's　because　'e's　glad　to　see　the　end　of　Owen；　if　yeh　ask　me。'

‘Praps　that　'as　got　something　to　do　with　it；'　said　Harlow。　　‘But　all　the　same　I　don't　call　that　a　proper　way　to　treat　anyone　…　givin'　a　man　the　push　in　that　way　just　because　'e　'appened　to　'ave　a　spite　against　'im。'

‘It's　wot　I　call　a　bldy　shame！'　cried　Philpot。　　‘Owen's　a　chap　wots　always　ready　to　do　a　good　turn　to　anybody；　and　'e　knows　'is　work；　although　'e　is　a　bit　of　a　nuisance　sometimes；　I　must　admit；　when　'e　gets　on　about　Socialism。'

‘I　suppose　Misery　didn't　say　nothin'　about　'im　this　mornin'？'　inquired　Easton。

‘No；'　replied　Crass；　and　added：　‘I　only　'ope　Owen　don't　think　as　I　never　said　anything　against　'im。　　'E　looked　at　me　very　funny　that　night　after　Nimrod　went　away。　　Owen　needn't　think　nothing　like　that　about　ME；　because　I'm　a　chap　like　this　…　if　I　couldn't　do　nobody　no　good；　I　wouldn't　never　do　'em　no　'arm！'