The boy was trembling with cold and he looked pitifully undersized and
frail as he bent over his work with an old apron girt about him.
Because it was so cold he was wearing his jacket with the ends of the
sleeves turned back to keep them clean, or to prevent them getting any
dirtier, for they were already in the same condition as the rest of his
attire, which was thickly encrusted with dried paint of many colours,
and his hands and fingernails were grimed with it.

As he watched the poor boy bending over his task, Owen thought of
Frankie, and with a feeling akin to terror wondered whether he would
ever be in a similar plight.

When he saw Owen, the boy left off working and wished him good morning,
remarking that it was very cold.

'Why don't you light a fire? There's lots of wood lying about the
yard.'

'No,' said Bert shaking his head. 'That would never do! Misery
wouldn't 'arf ramp if 'e caught me at it. I used to 'ave a fire 'ere
last winter till Rushton found out, and 'e kicked up an orful row and
told me to move meself and get some work done and then I wouldn't feel
the cold.'

'Oh, he said that, did he?' said Owen, his pale face becoming suddenly
suffused with blood. 'We'll see about that.'

He went out into the yard and crossing over to where--under a
shed--there was a great heap of waste wood, stuff that had been taken
out of places where Rushton & Co. had made alterations, he gathered an
armful of it and was returning to the paintshop when Sawkins accosted
him.

'You mustn't go burnin' any of that, you know! That's all got to be
saved and took up to the bloke's house. Misery spoke about it only
this mornin'.'

Owen did not answer him. He carried the wood into the shop and after
throwing it into the fireplace he poured some old paint over it, and,
applying a match, produced a roaring fire. Then he brought in several
more armfuls of wood and piled them in a corner of the shop. Bert took
no part in these proceedings, and at first rather disapproved of them
because he was afraid there would be trouble when Misery came, but when
the fire was an accomplished fact he warmed his hands and shifted his
work to the other side of the bench so as to get the benefit of the
heat.

Owen waited for about half an hour to see if Hunter would return, but
as that disciple did not appear, he decided not to wait any longer.
Before leaving he gave Bert some instructions:

'Keep up the fire with all the old pa