orfin plate,' he explained as he arrived at the door. 'Wanted at
once--Misery ses you can do it at 'ome, an' I've got to wait for it.'

Owen and his wife looked at each other with intense relief. So he was
not to be dismissed after all. It was almost too good to be true.

'There's a piece of paper inside the parcel with the name of the party
what's dead,' continued Bert, 'and here's a little bottle of Brunswick
black for you to do the inscription with.'

'Did he send any other message?'

'Yes: he told me to tell you there's a job to be started Monday
morning--a couple of rooms to be done out somewhere. Got to be
finished by Thursday; and there's another job 'e wants you to do this
afternoon--after dinner--so you've got to come to the yard at one
o'clock. 'E told me to tell you 'e meant to leave a message for you
yesterday morning, but 'e forgot.'

'What did he say to you about the fire--anything?'

'Yes: they both of 'em came about an hour after you went away--Misery
and the Bloke too--but they didn't kick up a row. I wasn't arf
frightened, I can tell you, when I saw 'em both coming, but they was
quite nice. The Bloke ses to me, "Ah, that's right, my boy," 'e ses.
"Keep up a good fire. I'm going to send you some coke," 'e ses. And
then they 'ad a look round and 'e told Sawkins to put some new panes of
glass where the winder was broken, and--you know that great big
packing-case what was under the truck shed?'

'Yes.'

'Well, 'e told Sawkins to saw it up and cover over the stone floor of
the paint-shop with it. It ain't 'arf all right there now. I've
cleared out all the muck from under the benches and we've got two sacks
of coke sent from the gas-works, and the Bloke told me when that's all
used up I've got to get a order orf Miss Wade for another lot.'

At one o'clock Owen was at the yard, where he saw Misery, who
instructed him to go to the front shop and paint some numbers on the
racks where the wallpapers were stored. Whilst he was doing this work
Rushton came in and greeted him in a very friendly way.

'I'm very glad you let me know about the boy working in that
paint-shop,' he observed after a few preliminary remarks. 'I can
assure you as I don't want the lad to be uncomfortable, but you know I
can't attend to everything myself. I'm much obliged to you for telling
me about it; I think you did quite right; I should have done the same
myself.'

Owen did not know what to reply, but Rushton wa