Sturdy and Strong; Or, How George Andrews Made His Way Read online

  CHAPTER III.

  WORK.

  The next morning George went out with the bundle containing his Sundayclothes, which had been untouched since his arrival in town, and goingto an old-clothes shop he exchanged them for a suit of working clothesin fair condition, and then returning hid his bundle in the hay andrejoined Bill, who had from early morning been at work shellingwalnuts. Although Bill was somewhat surprised at his companion notbeginning work at the usual time he asked no questions, for his faithin George was so unbounded that everything he did was right in hiseyes.

  "There is our last day's work in the market, Bill," George said asthey reached their loft that evening.

  "It's your last day's work, George, I aint no doubt; but I expects itaint mine by a long way. I have been a-thinking over this 'ere go, andI don't think as it will act nohow. In the first place I aint fit togo to such a place, and they are sure to make it hot for me."

  "That's nonsense, Bill; there are lots of roughish sort of boys inworks of that sort, and you will soon be at home with the rest."

  "In the next place," Bill went on, unheeding the interruption, "Ishall be getting into some blooming row or other afore I have beenthere a week, and they will like enough turn you out as well as me.That's what I am a-thinking most on, George. If they chucks me thechances are as they chucks you too; and if they did that arter all thepains you have had to get a place I should go straight off and make ahole in the water. That's how I looks at it."

  "But I don't think, Bill, that there's any chance of your getting intoa row. Of course at first we must both expect to be blown upsometimes, but if we do our best and don't answer back again we shalldo as well as the others."

  "Oh, I shouldn't cheek 'em back," Bill said. "I am pretty well used togetting blown up. Every one's always at it, and I know well enough asit don't pay to cheek back, not unless you have got a market-cartbetween you and a clear road for a bolt. I wasn't born yesterday.Yer've been wery good to me, you have, George, and before any harmshould come to yer through me, s'help me, I'd chuck myself under amarket-wagon."

  "I know you would, Bill; but, whatever you say, you have been a fargreater help to me than I have to you. Anyhow we are not going to partnow. You are coming to work with me to start with, and I know you willdo your best to keep your place. If you fail, well, so much the worse,it can't be helped; but after our being sent there by Mr. Penrose Ifeel quite sure that the foreman would not turn me off even if he hadto get rid of you."

  "D'yer think so?"

  "I do, indeed, Bill."

  "Will yer take yer davey?"

  "Yes, if it's any satisfaction to you, Bill, I will take my davey thatI do not think that they would turn me off even if they sent youaway."

  "And yer really wants me to go with yer, so help yer?"

  "Really and truly, Bill."

  "Wery well, George, then I goes; but mind yer, it's 'cause yer wishesme."

  So saying, Bill curled himself up in the hay, and George soon heard byhis regular breathing that he was sound asleep.

  The next morning, before anyone was stirring, they went down into theyard, as was their custom on Sunday mornings, for a good wash,stripping to the waist and taking it by turns to pump over each other.Bill had at first protested against the fashion, saying as he did verywell and did not see no use in it; but seeing that George reallyenjoyed it he followed his example. After a morning or two, indeed,and with the aid of a piece of soap which George had bought, Bill gothimself so bright and shiny as to excite much sarcastic comment andremark from his former companions, which led to more than onepugilistic encounter.

  That morning George remained behind in the loft for a minute or twoafter Bill had run down, attired only in his trousers. When Bill wentup the ladder after his ablutions he began hunting about in the hay.

  "What are you up to, Bill?"

  "Blest if I can find my shirt. Here's two of yourn knocking about, butI can't see where's mine, nor my jacket neither."

  "It's no use your looking, Bill, for you won't find them, and even ifyou found them you couldn't put 'em on. I have torn them up."

  "Torn up my jacket!" Bill exclaimed in consternation. "What lark areyer up to now, George?"

  "No lark at all. We are going together to work to-morrow, and youcould not go as you were; so you put on that shirt and those things,"and he threw over the clothes he had procured the day before.

  Bill looked in astonishment.

  "Why, where did yer get 'em, George? I knows yer only had four bobwith what we got yesterday. Yer didn't find 'em, and yer didn't--no,in course yer didn't--nip 'em."

  "No, I didn't steal them certainly," George said, laughing. "I swappedmy Sunday clothes for them yesterday. I can do without them very welltill we earn enough to get another suit. There, don't say anythingabout it, Bill, else I will punch your head."

  Bill stared at him with open eyes for a minute, and then threwhimself down in the hay and burst into tears.

  "Oh, I say, don't do that!" George exclaimed. "What have you to cryabout?"

  "Aint it enough to make a cove cry," Bill sobbed, "to find a chapdoing things for him like that? I wish I may die if I don't feel as ifI should bust. It's too much, that's what it is, and it's all on oneside; that's the wust of it."

  "I dare say you will make it even some time, Bill; so don't let's sayanything more about it, but put on your clothes. We will have a cup ofcoffee each and a loaf between us for breakfast, and then we will gofor a walk into the park, the same as we did last Sunday, and hear thepreaching."

  The next morning they were up at their accustomed hour and arrived atthe works at Limehouse before the doors were opened. Presently somemen and boys arrived, the doors were opened, and the two boys followedthe others in.

  "Hallo! who are you?" the man at the gate asked.

  George gave their names, and the man looked at his time-book.

  "Yes, it's all right; you are the new boys. You are to go into thatplaning-shop," and he pointed to one of the doors opening into theyard.

  The boys were not long before they were at work. Bill was ordered totake planks from a large pile and to hand them to a man, who passedthem under one of the planing-machines. George was told to take themaway as fast as they were finished and pile them against a wall. Whenthe machines stopped for any adjustment or alteration both were tosweep up the shavings and ram them into bags, in which they werecarried to the engine-house.

  For a time the boys were almost dazzled by the whirl of the machinery,the rapid motion of the numerous wheels and shafting overhead, and ofthe broad bands which carried the power from them to the machinery onthe floor, by the storm of shavings which flew from the cutters, andthe unceasing activity which prevailed around them. Beyond receivingan occasional order, shouted in a loud tone--for conversation in anordinary voice would have been inaudible--nothing occurred till thebell rang at half-past eight for breakfast. Then the machinerysuddenly stopped, and a strange hush succeeded the din which hadprevailed.

  "How long have we got now?" George asked the man from whose bench hehad been taking the planks.

  "Half an hour," the man said as he hurried away.

  "Well, what do you think of it, Bill?" George asked when they had gotoutside.

  "Didn't think as there could be such a row," Bill replied. "Why, talkabout the Garden! Lor', why it aint nothing to it. I hardly knew whatI was a-doing at first."

  "No more did I, Bill. You must mind what you do and not touch any ofthose straps and wheels and things. I know when I was at Croydon therewas a man killed in a sawmill there by being caught in the strap; theysaid it drew him up and smashed him against the ceiling. And now wehad better look out for a baker's."

  "I suppose there aint a coffee-stall nowhere handy?"

  "I don't suppose there is, Bill; at any rate we have no time to spareto look for one. There's a pump in the yard, so we can have a drink ofwater as we come back. Well, the work doesn't seem very hard, Bill,"George said as they ate their bread.

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bsp; "No, it aint hard," Bill admitted, "if it weren't for all themrattling wheels. But I expect it aint going to be like that regular.They've just gived us an easy job to begin with. Yer'll see it will beworse presently."

  "We shall soon get accustomed to the noise, Bill, and I don't think weshall find the work any harder. They don't put boys at hard work, butjust jobs like we are doing, to help the men."

  "What shall we do about night, George?"

  "I think that at dinner-time we had better ask the man we work for. Helooks a good-natured sort of chap. He may know of someone he couldrecommend us to."

  They worked steadily till dinner-time; then as they came out Georgesaid to the man with whom they were working:

  "We want to get a room. We have been lodging together in London, anddon't know anyone down here. I thought perhaps you could tell us ofsome quiet, respectable people who have a room to let?"

  The man looked at George more closely than he had hitherto done.

  "Well, there aint many people as would care about taking in two boys,but you seem a well-spoken young chap and different to most of 'em. Doyou think you could keep regular hours, and not come clattering in andout fifty times in the evening, and playing tom-fools' tricks of allsorts?"

  "I don't think we should be troublesome," George said; "and I am quitesure we shouldn't be noisy."

  "You would want to be cooked for, in course?"

  "No, I don't think so," George said. "Beyond hot water for a cup oftea in the evening, we should not want much cooking done, especiallyif there is a coffee-stall anywhere where we could get a cup in themorning."

  "You haven't got any traps, I suppose?"

  George looked puzzled.

  "I mean bed and chairs, and so on."

  George shook his head.

  "We might get them afterwards, but we haven't any now."

  "Well, I don't mind trying you young fellows. I have got a bedroom inmy place empty. A brother of mine who lodged and worked with me hasjust got a job as foreman down in the country. At any rate I will tryyou for a week, and if at the end of that time you and my missis don'tget on together you must shift. Two bob a week. I suppose that willabout suit you?"

  George said that would suit very well, and expressed his thanks to theman for taking them in.

  They had been walking briskly since they left the works, and nowstopped suddenly before the door of a house in a row. It was just likeits neighbor, except that George noticed that the blinds and windowswere cleaner than the others, and that the door had been newly paintedand varnished.

  "Here we are," the man said. "You had best come in and see the missisand the room. Missis!" he shouted, and a woman appeared from thebackroom. "I have let Harry's room, mother," he said, "and these arethe new lodgers."

  "My stars, John!" she exclaimed; "you don't mean to say that you letthe room to them two boys. I should have thought you had better sense.Why, they will be trampling up and down the stairs like young hosses,wear out the oil cloth, and frighten the baby into fits. I never didhear such a thing!"

  "I think they are quiet boys, Bessie, and won't give much trouble. Atany rate I have agreed to try them for a week, and if you don't geton with them at the end of that time, of course they must go. Theyhave only come to work at the shop to-day; they work with me, and asfar as I can see they are quiet young chaps enough. Come along, lads,I will show you your room."

  It was halfway up the stairs, at the back of the house, over thekitchen, which was built out there. It was a comfortable little room,not large, but sufficiently so for two boys. There was a bed, a chestof drawers, two chairs, and a dressing-table, and a strip of carpetran alongside the bed, and there was, moreover, a small fireplace.

  "Will that do for you?" the man asked.

  "Capitally," George said; "it could not be nicer;" while Bill was sotaken aback by its comfort and luxury that he was speechless.

  "Well, that's settled, then," the man said. "If you have got anythings you can bring 'em in when you like."

  "We have not got any to speak of," George said, flushing a little. "Icame up from the country three months ago to look for work, and beyondodd jobs I have had nothing to do since, so that everything I had ispretty well gone; but I can pay a week's rent in advance," he said,putting his hand in his pocket.

  "Oh, you needn't mind that!" the man said; "as you work in the shopit's safe enough. Now I must get my dinner, else I shall be late forwork."

  "Well, Bill, what do you think of that?" George asked as they left thehouse.

  "My eye," Bill exclaimed in admiration; "aint it nice just! Why, yercouldn't get a room like that, not furnished, anywhere near themarket, not at four bob a week. Aint it clean just; so help me if thehouse don't look as if it has been scrubbed down every day! What awoman that must be for washing!"

  "Yes; we shall have to rub our feet well, Bill, and make as littlemess as we can in going in and out."

  "I should think so," Bill said. "It don't seem to me as if it could betrue as we're to have such a room as that to ourselves, and to walkinto a house bold without being afraid as somebody would have his eyeon you, and chivey you; and eight bob a week for grub regular."

  "Well, let's get some bread and cheese, Bill; pretty near half ourtime must be gone, and mind we must be very saving at first. Therewill be several things to get; a kettle and a teapot, and a coffeepot,and some cups and saucers, and we shall want a gridiron for fryingrashers of bacon upon."

  "My eye, won't it be prime!" Bill broke in.

  "And we shall want some towels," George went on with his enumeration.

  "Towels!" repeated Bill. "What are they like?"

  "They are cloths for wiping your hands and face after you havewashed."

  "Well, if yer says we wants 'em, George, of course we must get 'em;but I've always found my hands dried quick enough by themselves,especially if I gived 'em a rub on my trousers."

  "And then, Bill, you know," George went on, "I want to save everypenny we can, so as to get some things to furnish two rooms by thetime mother comes out."

  "Yes, in course we must," Bill agreed warmly, though a slight shadepassed over his face at the thought that they were not to be alwaysalone together. "Well, yer know, George, I am game for anythink. I canhold on with a penn'orth of bread a day. I have done it over and over,and if yer says the word I am ready to do it again."

  "No, Bill, we needn't do that," George laughed. "Still, we must liveas cheap as we can. We will stick to bread for breakfast, and breadand cheese for dinner, and bread for supper, with sometimes a rasheras a great treat. At any rate we will try to live on six shillings aweek."

  "Oh! we can do that fine," Bill said confidently; "and then twoshillings for rent, and that will leave us eight shillings a week toput by."

  "Mother said that the doctor didn't think she would be able to comeout 'til the spring. We are just at the beginning of November, so ifshe comes out the first of April, that's five months, say twenty-twoweeks. Twenty-two weeks at eight shillings, let me see. That's eightpounds in twenty weeks, eight pounds sixteen altogether, that wouldfurnish two rooms very well, I should think."

  "My eye, I should think so!" Bill exclaimed, for to his mind eightpound sixteen was an almost unheard-of sum, and the fact that hiscompanion had been able to calculate it increased if possible hisadmiration for him.

  It needed but two or three days to reconcile Mrs. Grimstone to her newlodgers.

  "I wouldn't have believed," she said at the end of the week to aneighbor, "as two boys could have been that quiet. They comes in afterwork as regular as the master. They rubs their feet on the mat, andyou can scarce hear 'em go upstairs, and I don't hear no more of 'emtill they goes out agin in the morning. They don't come back here tobreakfast or dinner. Eats it, I suppose, standing like."

  "But what do they do with themselves all the evening, Mrs. Grimstone?"

  "One of 'em reads to the other. I think I can hear a voice goingregular over the kitchen."

  "And how's their room?"
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  "As clean and tidy as a new pin. They don't lock the door when theygoes out, and I looked in yesterday, expecting to find it like apigsty; but they had made the bed afore starting for work, and seteverything in its place, and laid the fire like for when they comeback."

  Mrs. Grimstone was right. George had expended six pence in as manyold books at a bookstall. One of them was a spelling-book, and he hadat once set to work teaching Bill his letters. Bill had at firstprotested. "He had done very well without reading, and didn't see muchgood in it." However, as George insisted he gave way, as he would havedone to any proposition whatever upon which his friend had set hismind. So for an hour every evening after they had finished tea Billworked at his letters and spelling, and then George read aloud to himfrom one of the other books.

  "You must get on as fast as you can this winter, Bill," he said;"because when the summer evenings come we shall want to go for longwalks."

  They found that they did very well upon the sum they agreed on. Teaand sugar cost less than George had expected. Mrs. Grimstone took infor them regularly a halfpenny-worth of milk, and for tea they weregenerally able to afford a bloater between them, or a very thin rasherof bacon. Their enjoyment of their meals was immense. Bill indeedfrequently protested that they were spending too much money; butGeorge said as long as they kept within the sum agreed upon, and paidtheir rent, coal, candles, and what little washing they required outof the eight shillings a week, they were doing very well.

  They had by this time got accustomed to the din of the machinery, andwere able to work in comfort. Mr. Penrose had several times comethrough the room, and had given them a nod. After they had been therea month he spoke to Grimstone.

  "How do those boys do their work?"

  "Wonderful well, sir; they are the two best boys we have ever had. Noskylarking about, and I never have to wait a minute for a plank. Theygenerally comes in a few minutes before time and gets the benchcleared up. They are first-rate boys. They lodge with me, and twoquieter and better-behaved chaps in a house there never was."

  "I am glad to hear it," Mr. Penrose said. "I am interested in them,and am pleased to hear so good an account."

  That Saturday, to their surprise, when they went to get their moneythey received ten shillings apiece.

  "That's two shillings too much," George said as the money was handedto them.

  "That's all right," the foreman said. "The governor ordered you bothto have a rise."

  "My eye!" Bill said as they went out. "What do you think of that,George? Four bob a week more to put by regularly. How much more willthat make by the time your mother comes?"

  "We won't put it all by, Bill. I think the other will be enough. Thisfour shillings a week we will put aside at present for clothes. Wewant two more shirts apiece, and some more stockings, and we shallwant some shoes before long, and another suit of clothes each. We mustkeep ourselves decent, you know."

  From the time when they began work the boys had gone regularly everySunday morning to a small iron church near their lodging, and theyalso went to an evening service once a week. Their talk, too, at homewas often on religion, for Bill was extremely anxious to learn, andalthough his questions and remarks often puzzled George to answer, hewas always ready to explain things as far as he could.

  February came, and to George's delight he heard, from his mother thatshe was so much better that the doctor thought that when she came outat the end of April she would be as strong as she had ever been. Hereyes had benefited greatly by her long rest, and she said that she wassure she should be able to do work as before. She had written severaltimes since they had been at Limehouse, expressing her great pleasureat hearing that George was so well and comfortable. At Christmas, theworks being closed for four days, George had gone down to see her, andthey had a delightful talk together. Christmas had indeed been amemorable occasion to the boys, for on Christmas Eve the carrier hadleft a basket at Grimstone's directed "George Andrews." The boys hadprepared their Christmas dinner, consisting of some fine rashers ofbacon and sixpenny-worth of cold plum pudding from a cook-shop, andhad already rather lamented this outlay, for Mrs. Grimstone had thatafternoon invited them to dine downstairs. George was reading from abook which he bought for a penny that morning when there was a knockat the door, and Mrs. Grimstone said:

  "Here is a hamper for you, George."

  "A hamper for me!" George exclaimed in astonishment, opening the door."Why, whoever could have sent a hamper for me! It must be a mistake."

  "That's your name on the direction, anyhows," Mrs. Grimstone said.

  "Yes, that's my name, sure enough," George agreed, and at once beganto unknot the string which fastened down the lid.

  "Here is a Christmas card at the top!" he shouted. He turned it over.On the back were the words:

  "With all good wishes, Helen Penrose."

  "Well, that is kind," George said in rather a husky voice; and indeedit was the kindness that prompted the gift rather than the gift itselfthat touched him.

  "Now, then, George," Bill remonstrated; "never mind that there card,let's see what's inside."

  The hamper was unpacked, and was found to contain a cold goose, aChristmas pudding, and some oranges and apples. These were all placedon the table, and when Mrs. Grimstone had retired Bill executed awar-dance in triumph and delight.

  "I never did see such a game," he said at last, as he sat downexhausted. "There's a Christmas dinner for yer! Why, it's like themstories of the genii you was a-telling me about--chaps as comewhenever yer rubbed a ring or an old lamp, and brought a tuck-out orwhatever yer asked for. Of course that wasn't true; yer told me itwasn't, and I shouldn't have believed it if yer hadn't, but this 'ereis true. Now I sees, George, as what yer said was right and what Isaid was wrong. I thought yer were a flat 'cause yer wouldn't takenothing for getting back that there locket, and now yer see what'scome of it, two good berths for us and a Christmas dinner fit for aking. Now what are we going to do with it, 'cause yer know we dineswith them downstairs to-morrow?"

  "The best thing we can do, I think," George answered, "will be toinvite all of them downstairs, Bob Grimstone, his wife, and the threeyoung uns, to supper, not to-morrow night nor the night after, becauseI shan't be back from Croydon till late, but say the evening after."

  "But we can't hold them all," Bill said, looking round the room.

  "No, we can't hold them here, certainly, but I dare say they will letus have the feed in their parlor. There will be nothing to get, youknow, but some bread and butter, and some beer for Bob. Mrs. Grimstonedon't take it, so we must have plenty of tea."

  "I should like some beer too, just for once, George, with such ablow-out as that."

  "No, no, Bill, you and I will stick to tea. You know we agreed that wewouldn't take beer. If we begin it once we shall want it again, so weare not going to alter from what we agreed to. We see plenty of themisery which drink causes all round and the way in which money iswasted over it. I like a glass of beer as well as you do, and when Iget to be a man I dare say I shall take a glass with my dinnerregularly, though I won't do even that if I find it makes me want totake more; but anyhow at present we can do without it."

  Bill agreed, and the dinner-party downstairs and the supper two nightsafterwards came off in due course, and were both most successful.

  The acknowledgment of the gift had been a matter of some trouble toGeorge, but he had finally bought a pretty New Year's card and hadwritten on the back, "with the grateful thanks of George Andrews," andhad sent it to the daughter of his employer.

  At the beginning of April George had consulted Grimstone and his wifeas to the question of preparing a home for his mother.

  "How much would two rooms cost?" he had asked; "one a good-sized oneand the other the same size as ours."

  "Four shillings or four and sixpence," Mrs. Grimstone replied.

  "And supposing we had a parlor and two little bedrooms?"

  "Five and sixpence or six shillings, I should say," Mrs. Grimstonereplied. />
  "And how much for a whole house?"

  "It depends upon the size. We pay seven shillings a week, but youmight get one without the kitchen and bedroom over it behind for sixshillings."

  "That would be much the nicest," George said, "only it would cost sucha lot to furnish it."

  "But you needn't furnish it all at once," Mrs. Grimstone suggested."Just a kitchen and two bedrooms for a start, and you can put thingsinto the parlor afterwards. That's the way we did when we firstmarried. But you must have some furniture."

  "And how much will it cost for the kitchen and two bedrooms?"

  "Of course going cheaply to work and buying the things secondhand, Ishould say I could pick up the things for you, so that you could dovery well," Mrs. Grimstone said, "for six or seven pounds."

  "That will do capitally," George said, "for by the end of this monthBill and I will have more than ten pounds laid by."

  "What! since you came here?" Grimstone exclaimed in astonishment. "Doyou mean to say you boys have laid by five pounds apiece?"

  "Yes, and bought a lot of things too," his wife put in.

  "Why, you must have been starving yourselves!"

  "We don't look like it," George laughed. "I am sure Bill is a stoneheavier than when he came here."

  "Well, young chap, it does you a lot of credit," Bob Grimstone said."It isn't every boy, by a long way, would stint himself as you musthave done for the last five months to make a comfortable home for hismother, for I know lots of men who are earning their two quid a weekand has their old people in the workhouse. Well, all I can say is thatif I or the missis here can be of any use to you in taking a house weshall be right down glad."

  "Thank you," George said. "We will look about for a house, and when wehave fixed on one if you or Mrs. Grimstone will go about it for us Ishall be much obliged, for I don't think landlords would be inclinedto let a house to two boys."

  "All right, George! we will do that for you with pleasure. Besides,you know, there are things, when you are going to take a house, thatyou stand out for; such as papering and painting, or putting in a newrange, and things of that sort."

  After their dinner on the following Sunday the two boys set outhouse-hunting.

  "If it's within a mile that will do," George said. "It doesn't matterabout our going home in the breakfast time. We can bring our grub in abasket and our tea in a bottle, as several of the hands do; but ifit's over a mile we shall have to hurry to get there and back fordinner. Still there are plenty of houses in a mile."

  There were indeed plenty of houses, in long regular rows, bare andhard-looking, but George wanted to find something more pleasant andhomelike than these. Late in the afternoon he came upon what hewanted. It was just about a mile from the works and beyond the linesof regular streets. Here he found a turning off the main road with buteight houses in it, four on each side. It looked as if the man whobuilt them had intended to run a street down for some distance, buthad either been unable to obtain enough ground or had changed hismind.

  They stood in pairs, each with its garden in front, with a bow-windowand little portico. They appeared to be inhabited by a different classto those who lived in the rows, chiefly by city clerks, for thegardens were nicely kept, the blinds were clean and spotless, muslincurtains hung in the windows, and fancy tables with pretty ornamentsstood between them. Fortunately one of them, the last on the left-handside, was to let.

  "What do you think of this, Bill?"

  "It seems to be just the thing; but how about the rent, George? Ishould think they were awful dear."

  "I don't suppose they are any more than the houses in the rows, Bill.They are very small, you see, and I don't suppose they would suitworkmen as well as the others; at any rate we will see."

  Whereupon George noted down on a scrap of paper the name of the agentof whom inquiry was to be made.

  "No. 8," he said; "but what's the name of the street? Oh, there it is.Laburnum Villas. No. 8 Laburnum Villas; that sounds first-rate,doesn't it? I will get Mrs. Grimstone to go round to the agentto-morrow."

  This Mrs. Grimstone agreed to do directly she was asked. Afterspeaking to her husband she said, "I will get the key from the agent'sand will be there just after twelve to-morrow, so if you go therestraight when you get out you will be able to see the rooms and whatstate it's in."

  "But how about Bob's dinner?" George asked.

  "Oh, he will have it cold to-morrow, and I will set it out for himbefore I start."

  "That is very kind, Mrs. Grimstone, thank you very much. It would bejust the thing."

  Accordingly, at ten minutes past twelve on the following day the twoboys arrived breathless at No. 8 Laburnum Villas.

  "Hurrah!" George shouted, "there is Mrs. Grimstone at the window."

  The door was opened and they rushed in.

  "It's a tidy little place," Mrs. Grimstone said; "and it's in goodorder and won't want any money laying out upon it."

  The house was certainly small, but the boys were delighted with it. Onthe ground-floor were two little rooms opening with folding doors,and a little kitchen built out behind. There was a room over this, andtwo rooms above the sitting rooms.

  "That's just the right number," George said, "a bedroom each for us;it couldn't be nicer; and what pretty paper!"

  "And there is a good long slip of garden behind," Mrs. Grimstone said,"where you could grow lots of vegetables. Of course in the front youwould have flowers."

  "And how much do they want for it?"

  "Seven and sixpence a week, including rates and taxes. I call it dearfor its size, but then of course it's got the garden and it lookspretty and nice. The agent says it's been painted and papered from topto bottom since the last people left, but he says the owner won't letit unless somebody comes who is likely to stop, and he will wantreferences of respectability."

  "All right!" George said; "I can manage that," for he had already beenthinking of the question in his mind; "and we can manage seven andsixpence a week; can't we, Bill?"

  "We will try, anyhow," Bill said stoutly, for he was as much pleasedwith the cottage as George was.

  They explored the garden behind the house. This was about a hundredfeet long by twenty-five wide. Half of it was covered with stumps of aplantation of cabbages, the other half was empty and had evidentlybeen dug up by the last tenants ready for planting.

  "Why, I should think we shall be able to grow all our own potatoeshere!" George exclaimed in delight.

  Mrs. Grimstone was a country woman, and she shook her head.

  "You wouldn't be able to do that, George, not if you gave it all up topotatoes; but if you planted the further end with potatoes you mightget a good many, and then, you know, at this end you might have threeor four rows of peas and French beans, and lettuces and such like, butyou will have to get some manure to put in. Things won't grow withoutmanure even in the country, and I am sure they won't here; and thenyou know you can have flowers in the front of the house. But it's timefor you to be off, else you will be late at the works. I am sure it'smore than half an hour since you came in. I will take the key back andtell them they shall have an answer by Wednesday or Thursday."

  George did not think they could have been a quarter of an hour;however, he and Bill started at a trot, which they increased into arun at the top of their speed when the first clock they saw pointed toseven minutes to one. The bell was ringing as they approached theworks; it stopped when they were within fifty yards, and the gate wasjust closing as they rushed up.

  "Too late," the man said.

  "Oh, do let us through," George panted out; "it's the first time wehave ever been late, and we have run a mile to be here in time!"

  "Oh, it's you, is it?" the man said, opening the gate a few inches tolook through. "Ah, well I will let you in this time, 'cause you arewell-behaved young chaps; but don't you run it so close another time,else you will have to lose your hour."