The Financiers
if anything inferior to the majority of his fellow-workmen. But he pretented to know everything, and his vague references to 'tones' and 'shades' and 'harmony' had impressed Hunter, who entertained a high opinion of his capacity. It was by pushing himself forward in this way, and by judicious toadying, that Crass managed to get himself put in charge of the job.
But though he did as little work as possible himself, he took care that the others worked hard. Any man who failed to satisfy him in this respect he reported to Hunter as being 'no good' or 'too slow for a funeral.' The result was that that man was dispensed with at the end of the week.
As he walked along, Easton realised that it was not possible to foresee what a day or even an hour might bring forth.
By this time he had arrived at his home—a small house, one of a long row, and containing four rooms.
The front door opened into a narrow passage, covered with oilcloth. At the end of this passage was a flight of stairs leading to the upper part of the house. The first door on the left led into the front sitting-room, an apartment about nine feet square, with a bay window. This room was very rarely used and was always very tidy and clean.
The mantelpiece was of wood, painted black and ornamented with jagged streaks of red and yellow, which were supposed to give it the appearance of marble. The wall paper was a pale terra cotta with a pattern of large white roses and chocolate-coloured leaves and stalks.
There was a small iron fender with fire-irons to match, and on the mantel-shelf stood a clock in a polished wood case, a pair of blue glass vases, and some photographs in frames. The floor was covered with oilcloth of a tile pattern in yellow and red. On the walls were two or three framed coloured prints such as are presented with Christmas numbers of illustrated papers. There was also a photograph of a group of Sunday school girls with their teachers, with the church for the background. In the centre of the room was a round deal table about three feet six inches across, the legs stained red to look like mahogany. Against one wall was an old couch covered with faded cretonne, four chairs to match standing with their backs to the wall in different parts of the room. The table was covered with a red cloth with a yellow crewel-work design in the centre. And on the table were a lamp and a number of brightly-bound books.
Some of these things, the couch and the chairs, Easton
37
