do paintin', and I've got to put 'im on it. There
ain't nothing else for 'im to do.'

Further discussion on this subject was prevented by Sawkins' arrival,
nearly a quarter of an hour late.

'Oh, you 'ave come, then,' sneered Crass. 'Thought p'raps you'd gorn
for a 'oliday.'

Sawkins muttered something about oversleeping himself, and having
hastily put on his apron, he went upstairs with Harlow.

'Now, let's see,' Crass said, addressing Philpot. 'You and Newman 'ad
better go and make a start on the second floor: this is the colour, and
'ere's a couple of candles. You'd better not both go in one room or
'Unter will growl about it. You take one of the front and let Newman
take one of the back rooms. Take a bit of stoppin' with you: they're
goin' to 'ave two coats, but you'd better putty up the 'oles as well as
you can, this time.'

'Only two coats!' said Philpot. 'Them rooms will never look nothing
with two coats--a light colour like this.'

'It's only goin' to get two, anyway,' returned Crass, testily. ''Unter
said so, so you'll 'ave to do the best you can with 'em, and get 'em
smeared over middlin' sudden, too.'

Crass did not think it necessary to mention that according to the copy
of the specification of the work which he had in his pocket the rooms
in question were supposed to have four coats.

Crass now turned to Owen.

'There's that drorin'-room,' he said. 'I don't know what's goin' to be
done with that yet. I don't think they've decided about it. Whatever's
to be done to it will be an extra, because all that's said about it in
the contract is to face it up with putty and give it one coat of white.
So you and Easton 'ad better get on with it.'

Slyme was busy softening some putty by rubbing and squeezing it between
his hands.

'I suppose I'd better finish the room I started on on Saturday?' he
asked.

'All right,' replied Crass. 'Have you got enough colour?'

'Yes,' said Slyme.

As he passed through the kitchen on the way to his work, Slyme accosted
Bert, the boy, who was engaged in lighting, with some pieces of wood, a
fire to boil the water to make the tea for breakfast at eight o'clock.

'There's a bloater I want's cooked,' he said.

'All right,' replied Bert. 'Put it over there on the dresser along of
Philpot's and mine.'

Slyme took the bloater from his food basket, but as he was about to put
it in the place indicated, he observed that his was rather a larger one
than either