h the work.

A little later, Crass, still sitting by the fire, heard footsteps
approaching along the passage. He started up guiltily and, thrusting
the hand holding his pipe into his apron pocket, retreated hastily into
the scullery. He thought it might be Hunter, who was in the habit of
turning up at all sorts of unlikely times, but it was only Easton.

'I've got a bit of bacon I want the young 'un to toast for me,' he said
as Crass came back.

'You can do it yourself if you like,' replied Crass affably, looking at
his watch. 'It's about ten to eight.'

Easton had been working for Rushton & Co. for a fortnight, and had been
wise enough to stand Crass a drink on several occasions: he was
consequently in that gentleman's good books for the time being.

'How are you getting on in there?' Crass asked, alluding to the work
Easton and Owen were doing in the drawing-room. 'You ain't fell out
with your mate yet, I s'pose?'

'No; 'e ain't got much to say this morning; 'is cough's pretty bad. I
can generally manage to get on orl right with anybody, you know,'
Easton added.

'Well, so can I as a rule, but I get a bit sick listening to that
bloody fool. Accordin' to 'im, everything's wrong. One day it's
religion, another it's politics, and the next it's something else.'

'Yes, it is a bit thick; too much of it,' agreed Easton, 'but I don't
take no notice of the bloody fool: that's the best way.'

'Of course, we know that things is a bit bad just now,' Crass went on,
'but if the likes of 'im could 'ave their own way they'd make 'em a
bloody sight worse.'

'That's just what I say,' replied Easton.

'I've got a pill ready for 'im, though, next time 'e start yappin','
Crass continued as he drew a small piece of printed paper from his
waistcoat pocket. 'Just read that; it's out of the Obscurer.'

Easton took the newspaper cutting and read it: 'Very good,' he remarked
as he handed it back.

'Yes, I think that'll about shut 'im up. Did yer notice the other day
when we was talking about poverty and men bein' out of work, 'ow 'e
dodged out of answerin' wot I said about machinery bein' the cause of
it? 'e never answered me! Started talkin' about something else.'

'Yes, I remember 'e never answered it,' said Easton, who had really no
recollection of the incident at all.

'I mean to tackle 'im about it at breakfast-time. I don't see why 'e
should be allowed to get out of it like that. There was a bloke down
at