ilpot and Harlow were working, he
heard them singing one of Sankey's hymns--'Work! for the night is
coming'. He listened to two verses and several repetitions of the
chorus. Being a 'Christian', he could scarcely object to this,
especially as by peeping through the partly open door he could see
that they were suiting the action to the word. When he went into the
room they glanced around to see who it was, and stopped singing.
Rushton did not speak, but stood in the middle of the floor, silently
watching them as they worked, for about a quarter of an hour. Then,
without having uttered a syllable, he turned and went out.

They heard him softly descend the stairs, and Harlow, turning to
Philpot said in a hoarse whisper:

'What do you think of the b--r, standing there watchin' us like that,
as if we was a couple of bloody convicts? If it wasn't that I've got
someone else beside myself to think of, I would 'ave sloshed the bloody
sod in the mouth with this pound brush!'

'Yes; it does make yer feel like that, mate,' replied Philpot, 'but of
course we mustn't give way to it.'

'Several times,' continued Harlow, who was livid with anger, 'I was on
the point of turnin' round and sayin' to 'im, "What the bloody 'ell do
you mean by standin' there and watchin' me, you bloody, psalm-singin'
swine?" It took me all my time to keep it in, I can tell you.'

Meanwhile, Rushton was still going about the house, occasionally
standing and watching the other men in the same manner as he had
watched Philpot and Harlow.

None of the men looked round from their work or spoke either to Rushton
or to each other. The only sounds heard were the noises made by the
saws and hammers of the carpenters who were fixing the frieze rails and
dado rails or repairing parts of the woodwork in some of the rooms.

Crass placed himself in Rushton's way several times with the hope of
being spoken to, but beyond curtly acknowledging the 'foreman's'
servile 'Good hafternoon, sir,' the master took no notice of him.

After about an hour spent in this manner Rushton went away, but as no
one say him go, it was not until some considerable time after his
departure that they knew that he was gone.

Owen was secretly very disappointed. 'I thought he had come to tell me
about the drawing-room,' he said to himself, 'but I suppose it's not
decided yet.'

Just as the 'hands' were beginning to breathe freely again, Misery
arrived, carrying some rolled-up pa