Chapter 103

Mrs.AthelnylentPhilipmoneytopayhislandladyenoughofherbilltolethimtakehisthingsaway.Forfiveshillingsandthepawn-ticketonasuithewasabletogetfromapawnbrokerafrockcoatwhichfittedhimfairlywell.Heredeemedtherestofhisclothes.HesenthisboxtoHarringtonStreetbyCarterPattersonandonMondaymorningwentwithAthelnytotheshop.Athelnyintroducedhimtothebuyerofthecostumesandlefthim.Thebuyerwasapleasant,fussylittlemanofthirty,namedSampson;heshookhandswithPhilip,and,inordertoshowhisownaccomplishmentofwhichhewasveryproud,askedhimifhespokeFrench.HewassurprisedwhenPhiliptoldhimhedid.

“Anyotherlanguage?”

“IspeakGerman.”

“Oh!IgoovertoParismyselfoccasionally.Parlez-vousfrancais?EverbeentoMaxim’s?”

Philipwasstationedatthetopofthestairsinthe‘costumes.’Hisworkconsistedindirectingpeopletothevariousdepartments.ThereseemedagreatmanyofthemasMr.Sampsontrippedthemoffhistongue.SuddenlyhenoticedthatPhiliplimped.

“What’sthematterwithyourleg?”heasked.

“I’vegotaclub-foot,”saidPhilip.“Butitdoesn’tpreventmywalkingoranythinglikethat.”

Thebuyerlookedatitforamomentdoubtfully,andPhilipsurmisedthathewaswonderingwhythemanagerhadengagedhim.Philipknewthathehadnotnoticedtherewasanythingthematterwithhim.

“Idon’texpectyoutogetthemallcorrectthefirstday.Ifyou’reinanydoubtallyou’vegottodoistoaskoneoftheyoungladies.”

Mr.Sampsonturnedaway;andPhilip,tryingtorememberwherethisortheotherdepartmentwas,watchedanxiouslyforthecustomerinsearchofinformation.Atoneo’clockhewentuptodinner.Thedining-room,onthetopfloorofthevastbuilding,waslarge,long,andwelllit;butallthewindowswereshuttokeepoutthedust,andtherewasahorridsmellofcooking.Therewerelongtablescoveredwithcloths,withbigglassbottlesofwateratintervals,anddownthecentresaltcellarsandbottlesofvinegar.Theassistantscrowdedinnoisily,andsatdownonformsstillwarmfromthosewhohaddinedattwelve-thirty.

“Nopickles,”remarkedthemannexttoPhilip.

Hewasatallthinyoungman,withahookednoseandapastyface;hehadalonghead,unevenlyshapedasthoughtheskullhadbeenpushedinhereandthereoddly,andonhisforeheadandneckwerelargeacnespotsredandinflamed.HisnamewasHarris.Philipdiscoveredthatonsomedaystherewerelargesoup-platesdownthetablefullofmixedpickles.Theywereverypopular.Therewerenoknivesandforks,butinaminutealargefatboyinawhitecoatcameinwithacoupleofhandfulsofthemandthrewthemloudlyonthemiddleofthetable.Eachmantookwhathewanted;theywerewarmandgreasyfromrecentwashingindirtywater.Platesofmeatswimmingingravywerehandedroundbyboysinwhitejackets,andastheyflungeachplatedownwiththequickgestureofaprestidigitatorthegravysloppedoverontothetable-cloth.Thentheybroughtlargedishesofcabbagesandpotatoes;thesightofthemturnedPhilip’sstomach;henoticedthateveryonepouredquantitiesofvinegaroverthem.Thenoisewasawful.Theytalkedandlaughedandshouted,andtherewastheclatterofknivesandforks,andstrangesoundsofeating.Philipwasgladtogetbackintothedepartment.Hewasbeginningtorememberwhereeachonewas,andhadlessoftentoaskoneoftheassistants,whensomebodywantedtoknowtheway.

“Firsttotheright.Secondontheleft,madam.”

Oneortwoofthegirlsspoketohim,justawordwhenthingswereslack,andhefelttheyweretakinghismeasure.Atfivehewassentupagaintothedining-roomfortea.Hewasgladtositdown.Therewerelargeslicesofbreadheavilyspreadwithbutter;andmanyhadpotsofjam,whichwerekeptinthe‘store’andhadtheirnameswrittenon.

Philipwasexhaustedwhenworkstoppedathalfpastsix.Harris,themanhehadsatnexttoatdinner,offeredtotakehimovertoHarringtonStreettoshowhimwherehewastosleep.HetoldPhiliptherewasasparebedinhisroom,and,astheotherroomswerefull,heexpectedPhilipwouldbeputthere.ThehouseinHarringtonStreethadbeenabootmaker’s;andtheshopwasusedasabed-room;butitwasverydark,sincethewindowhadbeenboardedthreepartsup,andasthisdidnotopentheonlyventilationcamefromasmallskylightatthefarend.Therewasamustysmell,andPhilipwasthankfulthathewouldnothavetosleepthere.Harristookhimuptothesitting-room,whichwasonthefirstfloor;ithadanoldpianoinitwithakeyboardthatlookedlikearowofdecayedteeth;andonthetableinacigar-boxwithoutalidwasasetofdominoes;oldnumbersofTheStrandMagazineandofTheGraphicwerelyingabout.Theotherroomswereusedasbed-rooms.ThatinwhichPhilipwastosleepwasatthetopofthehouse.Thereweresixbedsinit,andatrunkoraboxstoodbythesideofeach.Theonlyfurniturewasachestofdrawers:ithadfourlargedrawersandtwosmallones,andPhilipasthenew-comerhadoneofthese;therewerekeystothem,butastheywereallaliketheywerenotofmuchuse,andHarrisadvisedhimtokeephisvaluablesinhistrunk.Therewasalooking-glassonthechimney-piece.HarrisshowedPhilipthelavatory,whichwasafairlylargeroomwitheightbasinsinarow,andherealltheinmatesdidtheirwashing.Itledintoanotherroominwhichweretwobaths,discoloured,thewoodworkstainedwithsoap;andinthemweredarkringsatvariousintervalswhichindicatedthewatermarksofdifferentbaths.

WhenHarrisandPhilipwentbacktotheirbed-roomtheyfoundatallmanchanginghisclothesandaboyofsixteenwhistlingasloudashecouldwhilehebrushedhishair.Inaminuteortwowithoutsayingawordtoanybodythetallmanwentout.Harriswinkedattheboy,andtheboy,whistlingstill,winkedback.HarristoldPhilipthatthemanwascalledPrior;hehadbeeninthearmyandnowservedinthesilks;hekeptprettymuchtohimself,andhewentoffeverynight,justlikethat,withoutsomuchasagood-evening,toseehisgirl.Harriswentouttoo,andonlytheboyremainedtowatchPhilipcuriouslywhileheunpackedhisthings.HisnamewasBellandhewasservinghistimefornothinginthehaberdashery.HewasmuchinterestedinPhilip’seveningclothes.Hetoldhimabouttheothermenintheroomandaskedhimeverysortofquestionabouthimself.Hewasacheerfulyouth,andintheintervalsofconversationsanginahalf-brokenvoicesnatchesofmusic-hallsongs.WhenPhiliphadfinishedhewentouttowalkaboutthestreetsandlookatthecrowd;occasionallyhestoppedoutsidethedoorsofrestaurantsandwatchedthepeoplegoingin;hefelthungry,soheboughtabathbunandateitwhilehestrolledalong.Hehadbeengivenalatch-keybytheprefect,themanwhoturnedoutthegasataquarterpasteleven,butafraidofbeinglockedouthereturnedingoodtime;hehadlearnedalreadythesystemoffines:youhadtopayashillingifyoucameinaftereleven,andhalfacrownafteraquarterpast,andyouwerereportedbesides:ifithappenedthreetimesyouweredismissed.

AllbutthesoldierwereinwhenPhiliparrivedandtwowerealreadyinbed.Philipwasgreetedwithcries.

“Oh,Clarence!Naughtyboy!”

HediscoveredthatBellhaddressedupthebolsterinhiseveningclothes.Theboywasdelightedwithhisjoke.

“Youmustwearthematthesocialevening,Clarence.”

“He’llcatchthebelleofLynn’s,ifhe’snotcareful.”

Philiphadalreadyheardofthesocialevenings,forthemoneystoppedfromthewagestopayforthemwasoneofthegrievancesofthestaff.Itwasonlytwoshillingsamonth,anditcoveredmedicalattendanceandtheuseofalibraryofwornnovels;butasfourshillingsamonthbesideswasstoppedforwashing,Philipdiscoveredthataquarterofhissixshillingsaweekwouldneverbepaidtohim.

Mostofthemenwereeatingthickslicesoffatbaconbetweenarollofbreadcutintwo.Thesesandwiches,theassistants’usualsupper,weresuppliedbyasmallshopafewdoorsoffattwopenceeach.Thesoldierrolledin;silently,rapidly,tookoffhisclothesandthrewhimselfintobed.Attenminutespasteleventhegasgaveabigjumpandfiveminuteslaterwentout.Thesoldierwenttosleep,buttheotherscrowdedroundthebigwindowintheirpyjamasandnight-shirtsand,throwingremainsoftheirsandwichesatthewomenwhopassedinthestreetbelow,shoutedtothemfacetiousremarks.Thehouseopposite,sixstoreyshigh,wasaworkshopforJewishtailorswholeftoffworkateleven;theroomswerebrightlylitandtherewerenoblindstothewindows.Thesweater’sdaughter—thefamilyconsistedoffather,mother,twosmallboys,andagirloftwenty—wentroundthehousetoputoutthelightswhenworkwasover,andsometimessheallowedherselftobemadelovetobyoneofthetailors.TheshopassistantsinPhilip’sroomgotalotofamusementoutofwatchingthemanoeuvresofonemanoranothertostaybehind,andtheymadesmallbetsonwhichwouldsucceed.AtmidnightthepeoplewereturnedoutoftheHarringtonArmsattheendofthestreet,andsoonaftertheyallwenttobed:Bell,whosleptnearestthedoor,madehiswayacrosstheroombyjumpingfrombedtobed,andevenwhenhegottohisownwouldnotstoptalking.Atlasteverythingwassilentbutforthesteadysnoringofthesoldier,andPhilipwenttosleep.

Hewasawakedatsevenbytheloudringingofabell,andbyaquartertoeighttheywerealldressedandhurryingdownstairsintheirstockingedfeetto

pickouttheirboots.TheylacedthemastheyranalongtotheshopinOxfordStreetforbreakfast.Iftheywereaminutelaterthaneighttheygotnone,nor,oncein,weretheyallowedouttogetthemselvesanythingtoeat.Sometimes,iftheyknewtheycouldnotgetintothebuildingintime,theystoppedatthelittleshopneartheirquartersandboughtacoupleofbuns;butthiscostmoney,andmostwentwithoutfoodtilldinner.Philipatesomebreadandbutter,drankacupoftea,andathalfpasteightbeganhisday’sworkagain.

“Firsttotheright.Secondontheleft,madam.”

Soonhebegantoanswerthequestionsquitemechanically.Theworkwasmonotonousandverytiring.Afterafewdayshisfeethurthimsothathecouldhardlystand:thethicksoftcarpetsmadethemburn,andatnighthissockswerepainfultoremove.Itwasacommoncomplaint,andhisfellow‘floormen’toldhimthatsocksandbootsjustrottedawayfromthecontinualsweating.Allthemeninhisroomsufferedinthesamefashion,andtheyrelievedthepainbysleepingwiththeirfeetoutsidethebed-clothes.AtfirstPhilipcouldnotwalkatallandwasobligedtospendagoodmanyofhiseveningsinthesitting-roomatHarringtonStreetwithhisfeetinapailofcoldwater.HiscompanionontheseoccasionswasBell,theladinthehaberdashery,whostayedinoftentoarrangethestampshecollected.Ashefastenedthemwithlittlepiecesofstamp-paperhewhistledmonotonously.