r the substance of the
conversation he had held with Crass concerning him.

'Of course, you needn't mention that I told you, Frank,' he said, 'but
I thought I ought to let you know: you can take it from me, Crass ain't
no friend of yours.'

'I've know that for a long time, mate,' replied Owen. 'Thanks for
telling me, all the same.'

'The bloody rotter's no friend of mine either, or anyone else's, for
that matter,' Easton continued, 'but of course it doesn't do to fall
out with 'im because you never know what he'd go and say to ol' 'Unter.'

'Yes, one has to remember that.'

'Of course we all know what's the matter with 'im as far as YOU'RE
concerned,' Easton went on. 'He don't like 'avin' anyone on the firm
wot knows more about the work than 'e does 'imself--thinks 'e might git
worked out of 'is job.'

Owen laughed bitterly.

'He needn't be afraid of ME on THAT account. I wouldn't have his job
if it were offered to me.'

'But 'e don't think so,' replied Easton, 'and that's why 'e's got 'is
knife into you.'

'I believe that what he said about Hunter is true enough,' said Owen.
'Every time he comes here he tries to goad me into doing or saying
something that would give him an excuse to tell me to clear out. I
might have done it before now if I had not guessed what he was after,
and been on my guard.'

Meantime, Crass, in the kitchen, had resumed his seat by the fire with
the purpose of finishing his pipe of tobacco. Presently he took out
his pocket-book and began to write in it with a piece of black-lead
pencil. When the pipe was smoked out he knocked the bowl against the
grate to get rid of the ash, and placed the pipe in his waistcoat
pocket. Then, having torn out the leaf on which he had been writing,
he got up and went into the pantry, where Bert was still struggling
with the old whitewash.

'Ain't yer nearly finished? I don't want yer to stop in 'ere all day,
yer know.'

'I ain't got much more to do now,' said the boy. 'Just this bit under
the bottom shelf and then I'm done.'

'Yes, and a bloody fine mess you've made, what I can see of it!'
growled Crass. 'Look at all this water on the floor!'

Bert looked guiltily at the floor and turned very red.

'I'll clean it all up', he stammered. 'As soon as I've got this bit of
wall done, I'll wipe all the mess up with the swab.'

Crass now took a pot of paint and some brushes and, having put some
more fuel on the fire, began in a leisurely wa