第73章

There were no `political' arguments that day at dinner-time, to the disappointment of Crass, who was still waiting for an opportunity to produce the Obscurer cutting.After dinner, when the others had all gone back to their work, Philpot unobtrusively returned to the kitchen and gathered up the discarded paper wrappers in which some of the men had brought their food.Spreading one of these open, he shook the crumbs from the others upon it.In this way and by picking up particles of bread from the floor, he collected a little pile of crumbs and crusts.To these he added some fragments that he had left from his own dinner.He then took the parcel upstairs and opening one of the windows threw the crumbs on to the roof of the portico.He had scarcely closed the window when two starlings fluttered down and began to eat.Philpot watching them furtively from behind the shutter.The afternoon passed uneventfully.From one till five seemed a very long time to most of the hands, but to Owen and his mate, who was doing something in which they were able to feel some interest and pleasure, the time passed so rapidly that they both regretted the approach of evening.

`Other days,' remarked Bert, `I always keeps on wishin' it was time to go 'ome, but today seems to 'ave gorn like lightnin'!'

After leaving off that night, all the men kept together till they arrived down town, and then separated.Owen went by himself: Easton, Philpot, Crass and Bundy adjourned to the `Cricketers Arms' to have a drink together before going home, and Slyme, who was a teetotaler, went by himself, although he was now lodging with Easton.

`Don't wait for me,' said the latter as he went off with Crass and the others.`I shall most likely catch you up before you get there.'

`All right,' replied Slyme.

This evening Slyme did not take the direct road home.He turned into the main street, and, pausing before the window of a toy shop, examined the articles displayed therein attentively.After some minutes he appeared to have come to a decision, and entering the shop he purchased a baby's rattle for fourpence halfpenny.It was a pretty toy made of white bone and coloured wool, with a number of little bells hanging upon it, and a ring of white bone at the end of the handle.

When he came out of the shop Slyme set out for home, this time walking rapidly.When he entered the house Ruth was sitting by the fire with the baby on her lap.She looked up with an expression of disappointment as she perceived that he was alone.

`Where's Will got to again?' she asked.

`He's gone to 'ave a drink with some of the chaps.He said he wouldn't be long,' replied Slyme as he put his food basket on the dresser and went upstairs to his room to wash and to change his clothes.

When he came down again, Easton had not yet arrived.

`Everything's ready, except just to make the tea,' said Ruth, who was evidently annoyed at the continued absence of Easton, `so you may as well have yours now.'

`I'm in no hurry.I'll wait a little and see if he comes.He's sure to be here soon.'

`If you're sure you don't mind, I shall be glad if you will wait,'

said Ruth, `because it will save me making two lots of tea.'

They waited for about half an hour, talking at intervals in a constrained, awkward way about trivial subjects.Then as Easton did not come, Ruth decided to serve Slyme without waiting any longer.

With this intention she laid the baby in its cot, but the child resented this arrangement and began to cry, so she had to hold him under her left arm while she made the tea.Seeing her in this predicament, Slyme exclaimed, holding out his hands:

`Here, let me hold him while you do that.'

`Will you?' said Ruth, who, in spite of her instinctive dislike of the man, could not help feeling gratified with this attention.`Well, mind you don't let him fall.'

But the instant Slyme took hold of the child it began to cry even louder than it did when it was put into the cradle.

`He's always like that with strangers,' apologized Ruth as she took him back again.

`Wait a minute,' said Slyme, `I've got something upstairs in my pocket that will keep him quiet.I'd forgotten all about it.'

He went up to his room and presently returned with the rattle.When the baby saw the bright colours and heard the tinkling of the bells he crowed with delight, and reached out his hands eagerly towards it and allowed Slyme to take him without a murmur of protest.Before Ruth had finished making and serving the tea the man and child were on the very best of terms with each other, so much so indeed that when Ruth had finished and went to take him again, the baby seemed reluctant to part from Slyme, who had been dancing him in the air and tickling him in the most delightful way.

Ruth, too, began to have a better opinion of Slyme, and felt inclined to reproach herself for having taken such an unreasonable dislike of him at first.He was evidently a very good sort of fellow after all.

The baby had by this time discovered the use of the bone ring at the end of the handle of the toy and was biting it energetically.

`It's a very beautiful rattle,' said Ruth.'Thank you very much for it.It's just the very thing he wanted.'

`I heard you say the other day that he wanted something of the kind to bite on to help his teeth through,' answered Slyme, `and when Ihappened to notice that in the shop I remembered what you said and thought I'd bring it home.'

The baby took the ring out of its mouth and shaking the rattle frantically in the air laughed and crowed merrily, looking at Slyme.

`Dad! Dad! Dad!' he cried, holding out his arms.

Slyme and Ruth burst out laughing.

`That's not your Dad, you silly boy,' she said, kissing the child as she spoke.`Your dad ought to be ashamed of himself for staying out like this.We'll give him dad, dad, dad, when he does come home, won't we?'

But the baby only shook the rattle and rang the bells and laughed and crowed and laughed again, louder than ever.