into the room where Newman was and
stood quietly watching him for about ten minutes as he worked. The man
was painting the skirting, and just then he came to a part that was
split in several places, so he took his knife and began to fill the
cracks with putty. He was so nervous under Hunter's scrutiny that his
hand trembled to such an extent that it took him about twice as long as
it should have done, and Hunter told him so with brutal directness.

'Never mind about puttying up such little cracks as them!' he shouted.
'Fill 'em up with the paint. We can't afford to pay you for messing
about like that!'

Newman made no reply.

Misery found no excuse for bullying anyone else, because they were all
tearing into it for all they were worth. As he wandered up and down
the house like an evil spirit, he was followed by the furtively
unfriendly glances of the men, who cursed him in their hearts as he
passed.

He sneaked into the drawing-room and after standing with a malignant
expression, silently watching Owen and Easton, he came out again
without having uttered a word.

Although he frequently acted in this manner, yet somehow today the
circumstance worried Owen considerably. He wondered uneasily what it
meant, and began to feel vaguely apprehensive. Hunter's silence seemed
more menacing than his speech.

Chapter 10

The Long Hill

Bert arrived at the shop and with as little delay as possible loaded up
the handcart with all the things he had been sent for and start on the
return journey. He got on all right in the town, because the roads
were level and smooth, being paved with wood blocks. If it had only
been like that all the way it would have been easy enough, although he
was a small boy for such a large truck, and such a heavy load. While
the wood road lasted the principal trouble he experienced was the
difficulty of seeing where he was going, the handcart being so high and
himself so short. The pair of steps on the cart of course made it all
the worse in that respect. However, by taking great care he managed to
get through the town all right, although he narrowly escaped colliding
with several vehicles, including two or three motor cars and an
electric tram, besides nearly knocking over an old woman who was
carrying a large bundle of washing. From time to time he saw other
small boys of his acquaintance, some of them former schoolmates. Some
of these passed by carrying heavy loads of groceries