Chapter103

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,andtheymadesmallbetsonwhichwouldeed.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.