lse.'

'Oh, no, of course not, but I think you could manage this all right.
It's that drawing-room at the 'Cave'. Mr Sweater's been speaking to me
about it. It seems that when he was over in Paris some time since he
saw a room that took his fancy. The walls and ceiling was not papered,
but painted: you know what I mean; sort of panelled out, and decorated
with stencils and hand painting. This 'ere's a photer of it: it's done
in a sort of JAPANESE fashion.'

He handed the photograph to Owen as he spoke. It represented a room,
the walls and ceiling of which were decorated in a Moorish style.

'At first Mr Sweater thought of getting a firm from London to do it,
but 'e gave up the idear on account of the expense; but if you can do
it so that it doesn't cost too much, I think I can persuade 'im to go
in for it. But if it's goin' to cost a lot it won't come off at all.
'E'll just 'ave a frieze put up and 'ave the room papered in the
ordinary way.'

This was not true: Rushton said it in case Owen might want to be paid
extra wages while doing the work. The truth was that Sweater was going
to have the room decorated in any case, and intended to get a London
firm to do it. He had consented rather unwillingly to let Rushton &
Co. submit him an estimate, because he thought they would not be able
to do the work satisfactorily.

Owen examined the photograph closely.

'Could you do anything like that in that room?'

'Yes, I think so,' replied Owen.

'Well, you know, I don't want you to start on the job and not be able
to finish it. Can you do it or not?'

Rushton felt sure that Owen could do it, and was very desirous that he
should undertake it, but he did not want him to know that. He wished
to convey the impression that he was almost indifferent whether Owen
did the work or not. In fact, he wished to seem to be conferring a
favour upon him by procuring him such a nice job as this.

'I'll tell you what I CAN do,' Owen replied. 'I can make you a
watercolour sketch--a design--and if you think it good enough, of
course, I can reproduce it on the ceiling and the walls, and I can let
you know, within a little, how long it will take.'

Rushton appeared to reflect. Owen stood examining the photograph and
began to feel an intense desire to do the work.

Rushton shook his head dubiously.

'If I let you spend a lot of time over the sketches and then Mr Sweater
does not approve of your design, where do I come in?'