the key of the yard to the office and as they separated to go
home Bundy suggested that the best thing they could do would be to sew
their bloody mouths up for a few months, because there was not much
probability of their getting another job until about March.

The next morning while Crass and Slyme were finishing inside, Owen
wrote the two gates. On the front entrance 'The Cave' and on the back
'Tradesmens Entrance', in gilded letters. In the meantime, Sawkins and
Bert made several journeys to the Yard with the hand-cart.

Crass--working in the kitchen with Slyme--was very silent and
thoughtful. Ever since the job was started, every time Mr Sweater had
visited the house to see what progress was being made, Crass had been
grovelling to him in the hope of receiving a tip when the work was
finished. He had been very careful to act upon any suggestions that
Sweater had made from time to time and on several occasions had taken a
lot of trouble to get just the right tints of certain colours, making
up a number of different shades and combinations, and doing parts of
the skirtings or mouldings of rooms in order that Mr Sweater might see
exactly--before they went on with it--what it would look like when
finished. He made a great pretence of deferring to Sweater's opinion,
and assured him that he did not care how much trouble he took as long
as he--Sweater--was pleased. In fact, it was no trouble at all: it was
a pleasure. As the work neared completion, Crass began to speculate
upon the probable amount of the donation he would receive as the reward
of nine weeks of cringing, fawning, abject servility. He thought it
quite possible that he might get a quid: it would not be too much,
considering all the trouble he had taken. It was well worth it. At
any rate, he felt certain that he was sure to get ten bob; a gentleman
like Mr Sweater would never have the cheek to offer less. The more he
thought about it the more improbable it appeared that the amount would
be less than a quid, and he made up his mind that whatever he got he
would take good care that none of the other men knew anything about it.
HE was the one who had had all the worry of the job, and he was the
only one entitled to anything there was to be had. Besides, even if he
got a quid, by the time you divided that up amongst a dozen--or even
amongst two or three--it would not be worth having.

At about eleven o'clock Mr Sweater arrived and began to walk over t