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Harlow's room to criticize it； and had succeeded in finding several faults which he pointed out to the other； and of course they were both very much disgusted with Harlow。
‘I can't think why the coddy keeps him on the job；' said the first man。 ‘Between you and me； if I had charge of a job； and Misery sent Harlow there … I'd send 'im back to the shop。'
‘Same as you；' agreed the other as he went back to tear into his own room。 ‘Same as you； old man： I shouldn't 'ave 'im neither。'
It must not be supposed from this that either of these two men were on exceptionally bad terms with Harlow； they were just as good friends with him … to his face … as they were with each other … to each other's faces … and it was just their way： that was all。
If it had been one or both of these two who had gone away instead of Harlow； just the same things would have been said about them by the others who remained … it was merely their usual way of speaking about each other behind each other's backs。
It was always the same： if any one of them made a mistake or had an accident or got into any trouble he seldom or never got any sympathy from his fellow workmen。 On the contrary； most of them at such times seemed rather pleased than otherwise。
There was a poor devil … a stranger in the town； he came from London … who got the sack for breaking some glass。 He had been sent to ‘burn off' some old paint of the woodwork of a window。 He was not very skilful in the use of the burning…off lamp； because on the firm when he had been working in London it was a job that the ordinary hands were seldom or never called upon to do。 There were one or two men who did it all。 For that matter； not many of Rushton's men were very skilful at it either。 It was a job everybody tried to get out of； because nearly always the lamp went wrong and there was a row about the time the work took。 So they worked this job on to the stranger。
This man had been out of work for a long time before he got a start at Rushton's； and he was very anxious not to lose the job； because he had a wife and family in London。 When the ‘coddy' told him to go and burn off this window he did not like to say that he was not used to the work： he hoped to be able to do it。 But he was very nervous； and the end was that although he managed to do the burning off all right； just as he was finishing he accidentally allowed the flame of the lamp to come into contact with a large pane of glass and broke it。
They sent to the shop for a new pane of glass； and the man stayed late that night and put it in in his own time； thus bearing half the cost of repairing it。
Things were not very busy just then； and on the following Saturday two of the hands were ‘stood off'。 The stranger was one of them； and nearly everybody was very pleased。 At mealtimes the story of the broken window was repeatedly told amid jeering laughter。 It really seemed as if a certain amount of indignation was felt that a stranger … especially such an inferior person as this chap who did not know how to use a lamp … should have had the cheek to try to earn his living at all！ One thing was very certain … they said； gleefully … he would never get another job at Rushton's： that was one good thing。
And yet they all knew that this accident might have happened to any one of them。
Once a couple of men got the sack because a ceiling they distempered had to be washed off and done again。 It was not really the men's fault at all： it was a ceiling that needed special treatment and they had not been allowed to do it properly。
But all the same； when they got the sack most of the others laughed and sneered and were glad。 Perhaps because they thought that the fact that these two unfortunates had been disgraced； increased their own chances of being ‘kept on'。 And so it was with nearly everything。 With a few exceptions； they had an immense amount of respect for Rushton and Hunter； and very little respect or sympathy for each other。
Exactly the same lack of feeling for each other prevailed amongst the members of all the different trades。 Everybody seemed glad if anybody got into trouble for any reason whatever。
There was a garden gate that had been made at the carpenter's shop： it was not very well put together； and for the usual reason； the man had not been allowed the time to do it properly。 After it was fixed； one of his shopmates wrote upon it with lead pencil in big letters： ‘This is good work for a joiner。 Order one ton of putty。'
But to hear them talking in the pub of a Saturday afternoon just after pay…time one would think them the best friends and mates and the most independent spirits in the world； fellows whom it would be very dangerous to trifle with； and who would stick up for each other through thick and thin。 All sorts of stories were related of the wonderful things they had done and said； of jobs they had ‘chucked up'； and masters they had ‘told off'： of pails of whitewash thrown over offending employers； and of horrible assaults and batteries committed upon the same。 But strange to say； for some reason or other； it seldom happened that a third party ever witnessed any of these prodigies。 It seemed as if a chivalrous desire to spare the feelings of their victims had always prevented them from doing or saying anything to them in the presence of witnesses。
When he had drunk a few pints； Crass was a very good hand at these stories。 Here is one that he told in the bar of the Cricketers on the Saturday afternoon of the same week that Bill Bates and the Semi…drunk got the sack。 The Cricketers was only a few minutes walk from the shop and at pay…time a number of the men used to go in there to take a drink before going home。
‘Last Thursday night about five o'clock； 'Unter comes inter the paint…shop an' ses to me； 〃I wants a pail o' wash made up tonight； Crass；〃 'e ses； 〃ready for fust thing in the mornin'；〃 'e ses。 〃Oh；〃 I ses； lookin' 'im straight in the bloody eye； 〃Oh； yer do； do yer？〃 … just like that。 〃Yes；〃 'e ses。 〃Well； you can bloody well make it yerself！〃 I ses； 〃'cos I ain't agoin' to；〃 I ses … just like that。 〃Wot the 'ell do yer mean；〃 I ses； 〃by comin' 'ere at this time o' night with a order like that？〃 I ses。 You'd a larfed；' continued Crass； as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after taking another drink out of his glass； and looking round to note the effect of the story； ‘you'd a larfed if you'd bin there。 'E was fairly flabbergasted！ And wen I said that to 'im I see 'is jaw drop！ An' then 'e started apoligizing and said as 'e 'adn't meant no offence； but I told 'im bloody straight not to come no more of it。 〃You bring the horder at a reasonable time；〃 I ses … just like that … 〃and I'll attend to it；〃 I ses； 〃but not otherwise；〃 I ses。'
As he concluded this story； Crass drained his glass and gazed round upon the audience； who were full of admiration。 They looked at each other and at Crass and nodded their heads approvingly。 Yes； undoubtedly； that was the proper way to deal with such bounders as Nimrod； take up a strong attitude； an' let 'em see as you'll stand no nonsense！
‘Yer don't blame me； do yer？' continued Crass。 ‘Why should we put up with a lot of old buck from the likes of 'im！ We're not a lot of bloody Chinamen； are we？'
So far from blaming him； they all assured him that they would have acted in precisely the same way under similar circumstances。
‘For my part； I'm a bloke like this；' said a tall man with a very loud voice … a chap who nearly fell down dead every time Rushton or Misery looked at him。 ‘I'm a bloke like this 'ere： I never stands no cheek from no gaffers！ If a guv'nor ses two bloody words to me； I downs me tools and I ses to 'im； 〃Wot！ Don't I suit yer； guv'ner？ Ain't I done enuff for yer？ Werry good！ Gimmie me bleedin' a'pence。〃'
‘Quite right too；' said everybody。 That was the way to serve 'em。 If only everyone would do the same as the tall man … who had just paid for another round of drinks … things would be a lot more comfortable than they was。
‘Last summer I was workin' for ole Buncer；' said a little man with a cutaway coat several sizes too large for him。 ‘I was workin' for ole Buncer； over at Windley； an' you all knows as 'e don't arf lower it。 Well； one day； when I knowed 'e was on the drunk； I 'ad to first coat a room out … white； so thinks I to meself； 〃If I buck up I shall be able to get this lot done by about four o'clock； an' then I can clear orf 'ome。 'Cos I reckoned as 'e'd be about flattened out by that time； an' you know 'e ain't got no foreman。 So I tears into it an' gets this 'ere room done about a quarter past four； an' I'd just got me things put away for the night w'en 'oo should come fallin' up the bloody stairs but ole Buncer； drunk as a howl！ An' no sooner 'e gits inter the room than 'e starts yappin' an' rampin'。 〃Is this 'ere hall you've done？〃 'e shouts out。 〃Wotcher bin up to hall day？〃 'e ses； an' 'e keeps on shouting' an' swearin' till at last I couldn't stand it no longer； 'cos you can guess I wasn't in a very good temper with 'im comin' along jist then w'en I thought I was goin' to get orf a bit early … so w'en 'e kept on shoutin' I never made no answer to 'im； but ups with me fist an