man was painting the woodwork of the back staircase. Although the old
paintwork here was very dirty and greasy, Misery had given orders that
it was not to be cleaned before being painted.

'Just dust it down and slobber the colour on,' he had said.
Consequently, when Crass made the paint, he had put into it an extra
large quantity of dryers. To a certain extent this destroyed the
'body' of the colour: it did not cover well; it would require two
coats. When Hunter perceived this he was furious. He was sure it
could be made to do with one coat with a little care; he believed
Sawkins was doing it like this on purpose. Really, these men seemed to
have no conscience.

Two coats! and he had estimated for only three.

'Crass!'

'Yes, sir.'

'Come here!'

'Yes, sir.'

Crass came hurrying along.

'What's the meaning of this? Didn't I tell you to make this do with
one coat? Look at it!'

'It's like this, sir,' said Crass. 'If it had been washed down--'

'Washed down be damned,' shouted Hunter. 'The reason is that the
colour ain't thick enough. Take the paint and put a little more body
in it and we'll soon see whether it can be done or not. I can make it
cover if you can't.'

Crass took the paint, and, superintended by Hunter, made it thicker.
Misery then seized the brush and prepared to demonstrate the
possibility of finishing the work with one coat. Crass and Sawkins
looked on in silence.

Just as Misery was about to commence he fancied he heard someone
whispering somewhere. He laid down the brush and crawled stealthily
upstairs to see who it was. Directly his back was turned Crass seized
a bottle of oil that was standing near and, tipping about half a pint
of it into the paint, stirred it up quickly. Misery returned almost
immediately: he had not caught anyone; it must have been fancy. He
took up the brush and began to paint. The result was worse than
Sawkins!

He messed and fooled about for some time, but could not make it come
right. At last he gave it up.

'I suppose it'll have to have two coats after all,' he said,
mournfully. 'But it's a thousand pities.'

He almost wept.

The firm would be ruined if things went on like this.

'You'd better go on with it,' he said as he laid down the brush.

He began to walk about the house again. He wanted to go away now, but
he did not want them to know that he was gone, so he sneaked out of the
back door, crept around the house and out of