第54章

`What about the time you dropped the quarter of butter you was sent for in the mud?'

`That wasn't carelessness: that was an accident, and it wasn't butter at all: it was margarine, so there!'

Eventually it was arranged that they were to carry the parcel in turns, Elsie to have first innings.Frankie went downstairs to the front door with them to see them off, and as they went down the street he shouted after them:

`Mind you remember, next Sunday!'

`All right,' Charley shouted back.`We shan't forget.'

On Thursday Owen stayed at home until after breakfast to finish the designs which he had promised to have ready that morning.

When he took them to the office at nine o'clock, the hour at which he had arranged to meet Rushton, the latter had not yet arrived, and he did not put in an appearance until half an hour later.Like the majority of people who do brain work, he needed a great deal more rest than those who do only mere physical labour.

`Oh, you've brought them sketches, I suppose,' he remarked in a surly tone as he came in.`You know, there was no need for you to wait: you could 'ave left 'em 'ere and gone on to your job.'

He sat down at his desk and looked carelessly at the drawing that Owen handed to him.It was on a sheet of paper about twenty-four by eighteen inches.The design was drawn with pencil and one half of it was coloured.

`That's for the ceiling,' said Owen.`I hadn't time to colour all of it.'

With an affectation of indifference, Rushton laid the drawing down and took the other which Owen handed to him.

`This is for the large wall.The same design would be adapted for the other walls; and this one shows the door and the panels under the window.'

Rushton expressed no opinion about the merits of the drawings.He examined them carelessly one after the other, and then, laying them down, he inquired:

`How long would it take you to do this work - if we get the job?'

`About three weeks: say 150 hours.That is - the decorative work only.Of course, the walls and ceiling would have to be painted first: they will need three coats of white.'

Rushton scribbled a note on a piece of paper.

`Well,' he said, after a pause, `you can leave these 'ere and I'll see Mr Sweater about it and tell 'im what it will cost, and if he decides to have it done I'll let you know.'

He put the drawings aside with the air of a man who has other matters to attend to, and began to open one of the several letters that were on his desk.He meant this as an intimation that the audience was at an end and that he desired the `hand' to retire from the presence.

Owen understood this, but he did not retire, because it was necessary to mention one or two things which Rushton would have to allow for when preparing the estimate.

`Of course I should want some help,' he said.`I should need a man occasionally, and the boy most of the time.Then there's the gold leaf - say, fifteen books.'

`Don't you think it would be possible to use gold paint?'

`I'm afraid not.'

`Is there anything else?' inquired Rushton as he finished writing down these items.

`I think that's all, except a few sheets of cartridge paper for stencils and working drawings.The quantity of paint necessary for the decorative work will be very small.'

As soon as Owen was gone, Rushton took up the designs and examined them attentively.

`These are all right,' he muttered.`Good enough for anywhere.If he can paint anything like as well as this on the walls and ceiling of the room, it will stand all the looking at that anyone in this town is likely to give it.'

`Let's see,' he continued.`He said three weeks, but he's so anxious to do the job that he's most likely under-estimated the time; I'd better allow four weeks: that means about 200 hours: 200 hours at eight-pence: how much is that? And say he has a painter to help him half the time.100 hours at sixpence-ha'penny.'

He consulted a ready reckoner that was on the desk.

`Time, ?.7.6.Materials: fifteen books of gold, say a pound.Then there's the cartridge paper and the colours - say another pound, at the outside.Boy's time? Well, he gets no wages as yet, so we needn't mention that at all.Then there's the preparing of the room.

Three coats of white paint.I wish Hunter was here to give me an idea what it will cost.'

As if in answer to his wish, Nimrod entered the office at that moment, and in reply to Rushton's query said that to give the walls and ceiling three coats of paint would cost about three pounds five for time and material.Between them the two brain workers figured that fifteen pounds would cover the entire cost of the work - painting and decorating.

`Well, I reckon we can charge Sweater forty-five pounds for it,' said Rushton.`It isn't like an ordinary job, you know.If he gets a London firm to do it, it'll cost him double that, if not more.'

Having arrived at this decision, Rushton rung up Sweater's Emporium on the telephone, and, finding that Mr Sweater was there, he rolled up the designs and set out for that gentleman's office.

The men work with their hands, and the masters work with their brains.

What a dreadful calamity it would be for the world and for mankind if all these brain workers were to go on strike.