登陆注册
5383800000175

第175章

`If you sends a man into a room to get it ready,' said Crass, `'e makes a meal of it! 'E spends as much time messin' about rubbin' down and stoppin' up as it would take to paint it.But,' he added, with a cunning leer, `give 'em a bit of putty and a little bit of glass-paper, and the paint at the stand, and then 'e gits it in 'is mind as 'e's going in there to paint it! And 'e doesn't mess about much over the preparing of it'.

These and many other suggestions - all sorts of devices for scamping and getting over the work - were schemed out by Crass and the other sub-foremen, who put them into practice and showed them to Misery and Rushton in the hope of currying favour with them and being `kept on'.

And between the lot of them they made life a veritable hell for themselves, and the hands, and everybody else around them.And the mainspring of it all was - the greed and selfishness of one man, who desired to accumulate money! For this was the only object of all the driving and bullying and hatred and cursing and unhappiness - to make money for Rushton, who evidently considered himself a deserving case.

It is sad and discreditable, but nevertheless true, that some of the more selfish of the philanthropists often became weary of well-doing, and lost all enthusiasm in the good cause.At such times they used to say that they were `Bloody well fed up' with the whole business and `Tired of tearing their bloody guts out for the benefit of other people' and every now and then some of these fellows would `chuck up'

work, and go on the booze, sometimes stopping away for two or three days or a week at a time.And then, when it was all over, they came back, very penitent, to ask for another `start', but they generally found that their places had been filled.

If they happened to be good `sloggers' - men who made a practice of `tearing their guts out' when they did work - they were usually forgiven, and after being admonished by Misery, permitted to resume work, with the understanding that if ever it occurred again they would get the `infernal' - which means the final and irrevocable - sack.

There was once a job at a shop that had been a high-class restaurant kept by a renowned Italian chef.It had been known as `MACARONI'S ROYAL ITALIAN CAFE'

Situated on the Grand Parade, it was a favourite resort of the `Elite', who frequented it for afternoon tea and coffee and for little suppers after the theatre.

It had plate-glass windows, resplendent with gilding, marble-topped tables with snow white covers, vases of flowers, and all the other appurtenances of glittering cut glass and silver.The obsequious waiters were in evening dress, the walls were covered with lofty plate-glass mirrors in carved and gilded frames, and at certain hours of the day and night an orchestra consisting of two violins and a harp discoursed selections of classic music.

But of late years the business had not been paying, and finally the proprietor went bankrupt and was sold out.The place was shut up for several months before the shop was let to a firm of dealers in fancy articles, and the other part was transformed into flats.

Rushton had the contract for the work.When the men went there to `do it up' they found the interior of the house in a state of indescribable filth: the ceilings discoloured with smoke and hung with cobwebs, the wallpapers smeared and black with grease, the handrails and the newel posts of the staircase were clammy with filth, and the edges of the doors near the handles were blackened with greasy dirt and finger-marks.The tops of the skirtings, the mouldings of the doors, the sashes of the windows and the corners of the floors were thick with the accumulated dust of years.

In one of the upper rooms which had evidently been used as a nursery or playroom for the children of the renowned chef, the wallpaper for about two feet above the skirting was blackened with grease and ornamented with childish drawings made with burnt sticks and blacklead pencils, the door being covered with similar artistic efforts, to say nothing of some rude attempts at carving, evidently executed with an axe or a hammer.But all this filth was nothing compared with the unspeakable condition of the kitchen and scullery, a detailed description of which would cause the blood of the reader to curdle, and each particular hair of his head to stand on end.

Let it suffice to say that the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the paintwork, the gas-stove, the kitchen range, the dresser and everything else were uniformly absolutely and literally - black.And the black was composed of soot and grease.

In front of the window there was a fixture ?a kind of bench or table, deeply scored with marks of knives like a butcher's block.The sill of the window was about six inches lower than the top of the table, so that between the glass of the lower sash of the window, which had evidently never been raised, and the back of the table, there was a long narrow cavity or trough, about six inches deep, four inches wide and as long as the width of the window, the sill forming the bottom of the cavity.

This trough was filled with all manner of abominations: fragments of fat and decomposed meat, legs of rabbits and fowls, vegetable matter, broken knives and forks, and hair: and the glass of the window was caked with filth of the same description.

This job was the cause of the sacking of the Semi-drunk and another man named Bill Bates, who were sent into the kitchen to clean it down and prepare it for painting and distempering.

They commenced to do it, but it made them feel so ill that they went out and had a pint each, and after that they made another start at it.

同类推荐
  • 稗史集传

    稗史集传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医医十病

    医医十病

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说阿难四事经

    佛说阿难四事经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 马首农言

    马首农言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 艮岳记

    艮岳记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 海拔3658

    海拔3658

    夜刚过半,窗外的那只青蛙突然怪叫两声,家丽一惊,从梦里夺出身来,紧着眼皮一翻身,不想左肘一木,磕上一堆硬邦邦的东西,哗啦啦一阵动静,东西都摔地上去了。手臂酸麻,肘尖一路酸到肩胛骨。家丽皱起眉头想了半天,对,是佛经,最上面的是《金刚经》,压底的是《六祖坛经》,想起来了,中间是《无量寿经》、《阿弥陀经》、《楞严经》、《法华经》、《地藏菩萨本愿经》、《观经》、《八大人觉经》、《心经》、《华严经》、《大般若经》……右手一摸,一粒大光头,光滑如蜡,心猛然一跳,啊,我不会是跟和尚睡在一块吧?赶紧睁开眼坐起来捂着胸口喘气。
  • 宝珠

    宝珠

    《宝珠》辑选了古代小说中胡人识宝的故事,及现代流传的回回采宝的民间传说故事26篇,透过这些故事可以追朔回回先民的活动足迹,多角度地体察回回民族的独特气质。
  • 羲河时代

    羲河时代

    荒兽大陆!虚古界四大陆中资源最贫困的大陆,死亡沙漠!荒兽大陆中人们最不愿意提及的地方,当从中走出了一位戴着泰坦项链的狼族少年时,那这个世界,将会发生什么样的变化?
  • 毒女难求:王的嚣张宠妃

    毒女难求:王的嚣张宠妃

    一个佣兵穿越成将军庶女,倾尽一切爱错了人。重生之后一雪前耻,前世的智慧和今世的惨遇令其成长加速。冷血庶女vs腹黑质子、驯夫vs追妻。新皇登基,清后宫,赠江山。“史料记载”嫡后万岁万万岁。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 总裁的弃妇新娘

    总裁的弃妇新娘

    简介:冷雨夜灰色的大厅,火热的激情,女人的娇媚合着男人的勇猛在她眼前活生生上演!那么丑陋,那么恶心!她站在他们不远处,一直瞪着。看他们换着不同的方式jiao合,撞击声声回荡。她好想笑,又想哭,目不转晴的看着,看着男人女人放浪行骇的一面,看着她的老公正躺在别的女人身上.....在她们结婚四周年这一晚.....她站到他们完事,她站到失去知觉,冷笑,转身。————她从未想过她以为的幸福的婚姻会出现‘第三者’。而这个第三者不是别人,竟是她最亲最爱的妹妹。她亲眼看着她的亲妹妹和自己的老公纠缠。那放浪的声音,她心碎了一地。————她——卫婉,一个二十四岁的家庭主妇。在二十四岁那年,失了婚姻,失了爱情,失了一切!六年相爱,四年相守原来终抵不过所谓的迟来的‘真爱!’既然爱情没了,婚姻脏了,那么她卫婉便不要了。她要,就要全部,不要,亦全都抛掉。————“我们离婚吧。”她看着她的丈夫轻轻的说,眼晴没有错过那衬衣领里一点朱红,她知道那不是她的颜色。“离婚?”他皱了皱眉。“好!”他定定的注视她一秒,点头“是你先提出的,你不要后悔!你那天说要给我说什么?”“没有了。”她小心的摸着肚子,不再关这个男人的事,那是她一个人的。她永不会后悔!————然后,她离婚了,成了弃妇!一个人,四年的家庭生活封闭了她的视线,她一步步爬上总裁秘书,再到摇身一变成为时装界竞相追捧的神秘设计师,身价数百万的她,周围围绕着各色的男子。有邪魅的集团CEO——齐风有冷酷的公司总裁——卫寒有狂野的国际明星——斯罗有温润的.他他他,还有她的前夫——秦天,面对他们越加强势的攻势,她避之如蛇蝎,只是为何她的心越来越乱,平静的心又开始痛了?————而当她好不容易重拾碎掉的心,选择所爱时,那个恶梦又再度袭来。她的好妹妹又再次笑得天真甜蜜的站在她的面前。(此文系一个遭遇背叛离婚重新获得真爱的故事,构思是现实中的触发。)亲们可以先收,养肥了再看——先谢谢了.....亲们如觉得不错的话,收藏,票票,鲜花哟!请给我一点动力,谢谢!)喧嚣读者群:50784221(喜欢本文的亲可加入,敲门砖,书中任一角色名)—————————————————————————————————推荐V完结现代总裁文《总裁的替身儿媳》简介:一夜酒后街头的相遇,一眼,她为他心动
  • 绝色小痞后

    绝色小痞后

    杀她族人、辱她双亲、伤她兄弟,更是害她命丧悬崖!当21世纪的南离月魂穿而来,一切开始变化:大陆强者?惹我者拍!九幽魔王?犯我者踹!还有天界神族来抢亲?某妖孽笑的邪肆、语气宠溺,连哄带骗,“乖月儿,废了他,本帝带着亿万嫁妆嫁给你!”切,谁稀罕!想嫁给我,先到门口报名预约排队去!叶子后宫群,记得备注敲门砖:222065735
  • 一百个理由

    一百个理由

    在当今的世界环境里,对于中国来说,面对如一只海龟般趴在太平洋风涛里、总是令人难以琢磨的日本,需要警惕,需要谴责,也需要和平共处。《一百个理由》中,作者引用丰富例证想要说明的是:中国有一百个理由谴责日本,也有一百个理由与日本和平相处。中国欲一扫近代以来的耻辱与颓唐,走向民族的全面复兴,非得通过日本这道心理门槛;在很大程度上,这道门槛将考验中国能否成为一个成熟的现代国家。与此同时,日本要洗去孤独与暧昧,成长为世界性大国,更是绕不过中国这道道义门槛;在某种意义上,这道门槛成了判断日本能否重铸为一个政治诚信国家的试金石。所以,这一百个理由,给中国,也给日本。
  • 君临天下之涅凰

    君临天下之涅凰

    《君临天下之涅凰》 此文男强女强,男女主都是腹黑属性,坑人无极限,欢乐多多,喜欢双C,HE的小可爱们快快入坑吧。 文文简介:她,是现代豪门千金,在看尽世间虚伪之后绝情绝爱,一朝凤临异世,断了所有牵挂,谋划多年,一朝崛起。他,是暗夜中的王者,在看到了那人的瞬间,原本一片空白的世界中,从此就只剩下了那三个字。初见时,她伪装成他手下的兵混入军营,在离开时留下了让他终身难忘的话语。再见时她一身女装出现在他的面前,他咬牙:凌倾城,你竟然是女的!某女巧笑情兮:本公子可从来没说过本公子是男的啊。
  • 大唐大慈恩寺三藏法师传

    大唐大慈恩寺三藏法师传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 皇夫的春天

    皇夫的春天

    萧女皇在她登基后以为自己可以有后宫三千面首,奈何皇夫很妖孽,女皇很无奈。