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ed them to such an extent that most of them were almost afraid even to look round； and kept steadily on at work。 None of them wished to spoil his chance of being kept on to help to do the other house that it was reported Rushton & Co。 were going to ‘do up' for Mr Sweater。
Twelve o'clock came at last； and Crass's whistle had scarcely ceased to sound before they all assembled in the kitchen before the roaring fire。 Sweater had sent in two tons of coal and had given orders that fires were to be lit every day in nearly every room to make the house habitable by Christmas。
‘I wonder if it's true as the firm's got another job to do for old Sweater？' remarked Harlow as he was toasting a bloater on the end of the pointed stick。
‘True？ No！' said the man on the pail scornfully。 ‘It's all bogy。 You know that empty 'ouse as they said Sweater 'ad bought … the one that Rushton and Nimrod was seen lookin' at？'
‘Yes；' replied Harlow。 The other men listened with evident interest。 ‘Well； they wasn't pricing it up after all！ T he landlord of that 'ouse is abroad； and there was some plants in the garden as Rushton thought 'e'd like； and 'e was tellin' Misery which ones 'e wanted。 And afterwards old Pontius Pilate came up with Ned Dawson and a truck。 They made two or three journeys and took bloody near everything in the garden as was worth takin'。 What didn't go to Rushton's place went to 'Unter's。'
The disappointment of their hopes for another job was almost forgotten in their interest in this story。
‘Who told you about it？' said Harlow。
‘Ned Dawson 'imself。 It's right enough what I say。 Ask 'im。'
Ned Dawson； usually called ‘Bundy's mate'； had been away from the house for a few days down at the yard doing odd jobs； and had only come back to the ‘Cave' that morning。 On being appealed to； he corroborated Dick Wantley's statement。
‘They'll be gettin' theirselves into trouble if they ain't careful；' remarked Easton。
‘Oh； no they won't； Rushton's too artful for that。 It seems the agent is a pal of 'is； and they worked it between 'em。'
‘Wot a bloody cheek； though！' exclaimed Harlow。
‘Oh； that's nothing to some of the things I've known 'em do before now；' said the man on the pail。 ‘Why； don't you remember； back in the summer； that carved hoak hall table as Rushton pinched out of that 'ouse on Grand Parade？'
‘Yes； that was a bit of all right too； wasn't it？' cried Philpot； and several of the others laughed。
‘You know； that big 'ouse we did up last summer … No。 596；' Wantley continued； for the benefit of those not ‘in the know'。 ‘Well； it 'ad bin empty for a long time and we found this 'ere table in a cupboard under the stairs。 A bloody fine table it was too。 One of them bracket tables what you fix to the wall； without no legs。 It 'ad a 'arf…round marble top to it； and underneath was a carved hoak figger； a mermaid； with 'er arms up over 'er 'ead 'oldin' up the table top … something splendid！' The man on the pail waxed enthusiastic as he thought of it。 ‘Must 'ave been worth at least five quid。 Well； just as we pulled this 'ere table out； who should come in but Rushton； and when 'e seen it； 'e tells Crass to cover it over with a sack and not to let nobody see it。 And then 'e clears orf to the shop and sends the boy down with the truck and 'as it took up to 'is own 'ouse； and it's there now； fixed in the front 'all。 I was sent up there a couple of months ago to paint and varnish the lobby doors and I seen it meself。 There's a pitcher called 〃The Day of Judgement〃 'angin' on the wall just over it … thunder and lightning and earthquakes and corpses gettin' up out o' their graves … something bloody 'orrible！ And underneath the picture is a card with a tex out of the Bible … 〃Christ is the 'ead of this 'ouse： the unknown guest at every meal。 The silent listener to every conversation。〃 I was workin' there for three or four days and I got to know it orf by 'eart。'
‘Well； that takes the biskit； don't it？' said Philpot。
‘Yes： but the best of it was；' the man on the pail proceeded； ‘the best of it was； when ole Misery 'eard about the table； 'e was so bloody wild because 'e didn't get it 'imself that 'e went upstairs and pinched one of the venetian blinds and 'ad it took up to 'is own 'ouse by the boy； and a few days arterwards one of the carpenters 'ad to go and fix it up in 'is bedroom。'
‘And wasn't it never found out？' inquired Easton。
‘Well； there was a bit of talk about it。 The agent wanted to know where it was； but Pontius Pilate swore black and white as there 'adn't been no blind in that room； and the end of it was that the firm got the order to supply a new one。'
‘What I can't understand is； who did the table belong to？' said Harlow。
‘It was a fixture belongin' to the 'ouse；' replied Wantley。 ‘But I suppose the former tenants had some piece of furniture of their own that they wanted to put in the 'all where this table was fixed； so they took it down and stored it away in this 'ere cupboard； and when they left the 'ouse I suppose they didn't trouble to put it back again。 Anyway； there was the mark on the wall where it used to be fixed； but when we did the staircase down； the place was papered over； and I suppose the landlord or the agent never give the table a thought。 Anyhow； Rushton got away with it all right。'
A number of similar stories were related by several others concerning the doings of different employers they had worked for； but after a time the conversation reverted to the subject that was uppermost in their thoughts … the impending slaughter； and the improbability of being able to obtain another job； considering the large number of men who were already out of employment。
‘I can't make it out； myself；' remarked Easton。 ‘Things seems to get worse every year。 There don't seem to be 'arf the work about that there used to be； and even what there is is messed up anyhow； as if the people who 'as it done can't afford to pay for it。'
‘Yes；' said Harlow； ‘that's true enough。 Why； just look at the work that's in one o' them 'ouses on the Grand Parade。 People must 'ave 'ad more money to spend in those days； you know； all those massive curtain cornishes over the drawing… and dining…room winders … gilded solid！ Why； nowadays they'd want all the bloody 'ouse done down right through … inside and out； for the money it cost to gild one of them。'
‘It seems that nearly everybody is more or less 'ard up nowadays；' said Philpot。 ‘I'm jiggered if I can understand it； but there it is。'
‘You should ast Owen to explain it to yer；' remarked Crass with a jeering laugh。 ‘'E knows all about wot's the cause of poverty； but 'e won't tell nobody。 'E's been GOIN' to tell us wot it is for a long time past； but it don't seem to come orf。'
Crass had not yet had an opportunity of producing the Obscurer cutting； and he made this remark in the hope of turning the conversation into a channel that would enable him to do so。 But Owen did not respond； and went on reading his newspaper。
‘We ain't 'ad no lectures at all lately； 'ave we？' said Harlow in an injured tone。 ‘I think it's about time Owen explained what the real cause of poverty is。 I'm beginning to get anxious about it。'