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the floor in the front passage。 She was faint with fatigue and hunger； for she had had nothing but a cup of tea and a slice of bread that day； and her fare had not been much better for many weeks past。 The children were at school； and the house … now almost destitute of furniture and without carpets or oilcloth on the floors … was deserted and cold and silent as a tomb。 On the kitchen table were a few cracked cups and saucers； a broken knife； some lead teaspoons； a part of a loaf； a small basin containing some dripping and a brown earthenware teapot with a broken spout。 Near the table were two broken kitchen chairs； one with the top cross…piece gone from the back； and the other with no back to the seat at all。 The bareness of the walls was relieved only by a coloured almanac and some paper pictures which the children had tacked upon them； and by the side of the fireplace was the empty wicker chair where the old woman used to sit。 There was no fire in the grate； and the cold hearth was untidy with an accumulation of ashes； for during the trouble of these last few days she had not had time or heart to do any housework。 The floor was unswept and littered with scraps of paper and dust： in one corner was a heap of twigs and small branches of trees that Charley had found somewhere and brought home for the fire。
The same disorder prevailed all through the house： all the doors were open； and from where she stood in the kitchen she could see the bed she shared with Elsie； with its heterogeneous heap of coverings。 The sitting…room contained nothing but a collection of odds and ends of rubbish which belonged to Charley … his ‘things' as he called them … bits of wood； string and rope； one wheel of a perambulator； a top； an iron hoop and so on。 Through the other door was visible the dilapidated bedstead that had been used by the old people； with a similar lot of bedclothes to those on her own bed； and the torn； ragged covering of the mattress through the side of which the flock was protruding and falling in particles on to the floor。
As she stood there with the letter in her hand … faint and weary in the midst of all this desolation； it seemed to her as if the whole world were falling to pieces and crumbling away all around her。
Chapter 34
The Beginning of the End
During the months of January and February； Owen； Crass； Slyme and Sawkins continued to work at irregular intervals for Rushton & Co。； although … even when there was anything to do … they now put in only six hours a day； commencing in the morning and leaving off at four； with an hour's interval for dinner between twelve and one。 They finished the ‘plant' and painted the front of Rushton's shop。 When all this was completed； as no other work came in； they all had to ‘stand off' with the exception of Sawkins； who was kept on because he was cheap and able to do all sorts of odd jobs； such as unstopping drains； repairing leaky roofs； rough painting or lime…washing； and he was also useful as a labourer for the plumbers； of whom there were now three employed at Rushton's； the severe weather which had come in with January having made a lot of work in that trade。 With the exception of this one branch； practically all work was at a standstill。
During this time Rushton & Co。 had had several ‘boxing…up' jobs to do； and Crass always did the polishing of the coffins on these occasions； besides assisting to take the ‘box' home when finished and to ‘lift in' the corpse； and afterwards he always acted as one of the bearers at the funerals。 For an ordinary class funeral he usually put in about three hours for the polishing； that came to one and nine。 Taking home the coffin and lifting in the corpse； one shilling … usually there were two men to do this besides Hunter； who always accompanied them to superintend the work … attending the funeral and acting as bearer； four shillings： so that altogether Crass made six shillings and ninepence out of each funeral； and sometimes a little more。 For instance； when there was an unusually good…class corpse they had a double coffin and then of course there were two ‘lifts in'； for the shell was taken home first and the outer coffin perhaps a day or two later： this made another shilling。 No matter how expensive the funeral was； the bearers never got any more money。 Sometimes the carpenter and Crass were able to charge an hour or two more on the making and polishing of a coffin for a good job； but that was all。 Sometimes； when there was a very cheap job； they were paid only three shillings for attending as bearers； but this was not often： as a rule they got the same amount whether it was a cheap funeral or an expensive one。 Slyme earned only five shillings out of each funeral； and Owen only one and six … for writing the coffin plate。
Sometimes there were three or four funerals in a week； and then Crass did very well indeed。 He still had the two young men lodgers at his house； and although one of them was out of work he was still able to pay his way because he had some money in the bank。
One of the funeral jobs led to a terrible row between Crass and Sawkins。 The corpse was that of a well…to…do woman who had been ill for a long time with cancer of the stomach； and after the funeral Rushton & Co。 had to clean and repaint and paper the room she had occupied during her illness。 Although cancer is not supposed to be an infectious disease； they had orders to take all the bedding away and have it burnt。 Sawkins was instructed to take a truck to the house and get the bedding and take it to the town Refuse Destructor to be destroyed。 There were two feather beds； a bolster and two pillows： they were such good things that Sawkins secretly resolved that instead of taking them to the Destructor he would take them to a second…hand dealer and sell them。
As he was coming away from the house with the things he met Hunter； who told him that he wanted him for some other work； so he was to take the truck to the yard and leave it there for the present； he could take the bedding to the Destructor later on in the day。 Sawkins did as Hunter ordered； and in the meantime Crass； who happened to be working at the yard painting some venetian blinds； saw the things on the truck； and； hearing what was to be done with them； he also thought it was a pity that such good things should be destroyed： so when Sawkins came in the afternoon to take them away Crass told him he need not trouble； ‘I'm goin' to 'ave that lot； he said； ‘they're too good to chuck away； there's nothing wrong with 'em。'
This did not suit Sawkins at all。 He said he had been told to take them to the Destructor； and he was going to do so。 He was dragging the cart out of the yard when Crass rushed up and lifted the bundle off and carried it into the paint…shop。 Sawkins ran after him and they began to curse and swear at each other； Crass accusing Sawkins of intending to take the things to the marine stores and sell them。 Sawkins seized hold of the bundle with the object of replacing it on the cart； but Crass got hold of it as well and they had a tussle for it … a kind of tug of war … reeling and struggling all over the shop。 cursing and swearing horribly all the time。 Finally；