ere was no pen available at the workshop, Philpot waited till four
o'clock and then accompanied Owen home, where the heading of the list
was written. Owen put his name down for a shilling and Philpot his for
a similar amount.

Philpot stayed to tea and accepted an invitation to spend Christmas Day
with them, and to come to Frankie's party on the Monday after.

The next morning Philpot brought the list to the yard and Crass and
Slyme put their names down for a shilling each, and Sawkins for
threepence, it being arranged that the money was to be paid on
payday--Christmas Eve. In the meantime, Philpot was to see as many as
he could of those who were in work, at other firms and get as many
subscriptions as possible.

At pay-time on Christmas Eve Philpot turned up with the list and Owen
and the others paid him the amounts they had put their names down for.
From other men he had succeeded in obtaining nine and sixpence, mostly
in sixpences and threepences. Some of this money he had already
received, but for the most part he had made appointments with the
subscribers to call at their homes that evening. It was decided that
Owen should accompany him and also go with him to hand over the money
to Mrs Newman.

It took them nearly three hours to get in all the money, for the places
they had to go to were in different localities, and in one or two cases
they had to wait because their man had not yet come home, and sometimes
it was not possible to get away without wasting a little time in talk.
In three instances those who had put their names down for threepence
increased the amount to sixpence and one who had promised sixpence gave
a shilling. There were two items of threepence each which they did not
get at all, the individuals who had put their names down having gone
upon the drunk. Another cause of delay was that they met or called on
several other men who had not yet been asked for a subscription, and
there were several others--including some members of the Painters
Society whom Owen had spoken to during the week--who had promised him
to give a subscription. In the end they succeeded in increasing the
total amount to nineteen and ninepence, and they then put
three-halfpence each to make it up to a pound.

The Newmans lived in a small house the rent of which was six shillings
per week and taxes. To reach the house one had to go down a dark and
narrow passage between two shops, the house being in a kind of well,
sur