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ulation of ashes； for during the trouble of these last few days she had not had time or heart to do any housework。 The floor was unswept and littered with scraps of paper and dust： in one corner was a heap of twigs and small branches of trees that Charley had found somewhere and brought home for the fire。
The same disorder prevailed all through the house： all the doors were open； and from where she stood in the kitchen she could see the bed she shared with Elsie； with its heterogeneous heap of coverings。 The sitting…room contained nothing but a collection of odds and ends of rubbish which belonged to Charley … his ‘things' as he called them … bits of wood； string and rope； one wheel of a perambulator； a top； an iron hoop and so on。 Through the other door was visible the dilapidated bedstead that had been used by the old people； with a similar lot of bedclothes to those on her own bed； and the torn； ragged covering of the mattress through the side of which the flock was protruding and falling in particles on to the floor。
As she stood there with the letter in her hand … faint and weary in the midst of all this desolation； it seemed to her as if the whole world were falling to pieces and crumbling away all around her。
Chapter 34
The Beginning of the End
During the months of January and February； Owen； Crass； Slyme and Sawkins continued to work at irregular intervals for Rushton & Co。； although … even when there was anything to do … they now put in only six hours a day； commencing in the morning and leaving off at four； with an hour's interval for dinner between twelve and one。 They finished the ‘plant' and painted the front of Rushton's shop。 When all this was completed； as no other work came in； they all had to ‘stand off' with the exception of Sawkins； who was kept on because he was cheap and able to do all sorts of odd jobs； such as unstopping drains； repairing leaky roofs； rough painting or lime…washing； and he was also useful as a labourer for the plumbers； of whom there were now three employed at Rushton's； the severe weather which had come in with January having made a lot of work in that trade。 With the exception of this one branch； practically all work was at a standstill。
During this time Rushton & Co。 had had several ‘boxing…up' jobs to do； and Crass always did the polishing of the coffins on these occasions； besides assisting to take the ‘box' home when finished and to ‘lift in' the corpse； and afterwards he always acted as one of the bearers at the funerals。 For an ordinary class funeral he usually put in about three hours for the polishing； that came to one and nine。 Taking home the coffin and lifting in the corpse； one shilling … usually there were two men to do this besides Hunter； who always accompanied them to superintend the work … attending the funeral and acting as bearer； four shillings： so that altogether Crass made six shillings and ninepence out of each funeral； and sometimes a little more。 For instance； when there was an unusually good…class corpse they had a double coffin and then of course there were two ‘lifts in'； for the shell was taken home first and the outer coffin perhaps a day or two later： this made another shilling。 No matter how expensive the funeral was； the bearers never got any more money。 Sometimes the carpenter and Crass were able to charge an hour or two more on the making and polishing of a coffin for a good job； but that was all。 Sometimes； when there was a very cheap job； they were paid only three shillings for attending as bearers； but this was not often： as a rule they got the same amount whether it was a cheap funeral or an expensive one。 Slyme earned only five shillings out of each funeral； and Owen only one and six … for writing the coffin plate。
Sometimes there were three or four funerals in a week； and then Crass did very well indeed。 He still had the two young men lodgers at his house； and although one of them was out of work he was still able to pay his way because he had some money in the bank。
One of the funeral jobs led to a terrible row between Crass and Sawkins。 The corpse was that of a well…to…do woman who had been ill for a long time with cancer of the stomach； and after the funeral Rushton & Co。 had to clean and repaint and paper the room she had occupied during her illness。 Although cancer is not supposed to be an infectious disease； they had orders to take all the bedding away and have it burnt。 Sawkins was instructed to take a truck to the house and get the bedding and take it to the town Refuse Destructor to be destroyed。 There were two feather beds； a bolster and two pillows： they were such good things that Sawkins secretly resolved that instead of taking them to the Destructor he would take them to a second…hand dealer and sell them。
As he was coming away from the house with the things he met Hunter； who told him that he wanted him for some other work； so he was to take the truck to the yard and leave it there for the present； he could take the bedding to the Destructor later on in the day。 Sawkins did as Hunter ordered； and in the meantime Crass； who happened to be working at the yard painting some venetian blinds； saw the things on the truck； and； hearing what was to be done with them； he also thought it was a pity that such good things should be destroyed： so when Sawkins came in the afternoon to take them away Crass told him he need not trouble； ‘I'm goin' to 'ave that lot； he said； ‘they're too good to chuck away； there's nothing wrong with 'em。'
This did not suit Sawkins at all。 He said he had been told to take them to the Destructor； and he was going to do so。 He was dragging the cart out of the yard when Crass rushed up and lifted the bundle off and carried it into the paint…shop。 Sawkins ran after him and they began to curse and swear at each other； Crass accusing Sawkins of intending to take the things to the marine stores and sell them。 Sawkins seized hold of the bundle with the object of replacing it on the cart； but Crass got hold of it as well and they had a tussle for it … a kind of tug of war … reeling and struggling all over the shop。 cursing and swearing horribly all the time。 Finally； Sawkins … being the better man of the two … succeeded in wrenching the bundle away and put it on the cart again； and then Crass hurriedly put on his coat and said he was going to the office to ask Mr Rushton if he might have the things。 Upon hearing this； Sawkins became so infuriated that he lifted the bundle off the cart and； throwing it upon the muddy ground； right into a pool of dirty water； trampled it underfoot； and then； taking out his clasp knife； began savagely hacking and ripping the ticking so that the feathers all came falling out。 In a few minutes he had damaged the things beyond hope of repair； while Crass stood by； white and trembling； watching the proceedings but lacking the courage to interfere。
‘Now go to the office and ask Rushton for 'em； if you like！' shouted Sawkins。 ‘You can 'ave 'em now； if you want 'em。'
Crass made no answer and； after a moment's hesitation； went back to his work； and Sawkins piled the things on the cart once more and took them away to the Destructor。 He would not be able to sell them now； but at any rate he had stopped that dirty swine Crass from getting them。
When Crass went back to the paint…shop he found there one of the pillows which had fallen out of the bundle during the struggle。 He took it home with him that evening and slept upon it。 It was a fine pillow； much fuller and softer and more cosy than the one he had been accustomed to。
A few days afterwards when he was working at the room where the woman died； they gave him some other things that had belonged to her to do away with； and amongst them was a kind of wrap of grey knitted wool。 Crass kept this for himself： it was just the thing to wrap round one's neck when going to work on a cold morning； and he used it for that purpose all through the winter。 In addition to the funerals； there was a little other work： sometimes a room or two to be painted and papered and ceilings whitened； and once they had the outside of two small cottages to paint … doors and windows … two coats。 All four of them worked at this job and it was finished in two days。 And so they went on。
Some weeks Crass earned a pound or eighteen shillings； sometimes a little more； generally less and occasionally nothing at all。
There was a lot of jealousy and ill…feeling amongst them about the work。 Slyme and Crass were both aggrieved about Sawkins whenever they were idle； especially if the latter were painting or whitewashing； and their indignation was shared by all the others who were ‘off'。 Harlow swore horribly about it； and they all agreed that it was disgraceful that a bloody labourer should be employed doing what ought to be skilled work for fivepence an hour； while properly qualified men were ‘walking about'。 These other men were also incensed against Slyme and Crass because the latter were given the preference whenever there was a little job to do； and it was darkly insinuated that in order to secure this preference these two were working for sixpence an hour。 There was no love lost between Crass and Slyme either： Cra