Loving, Living, Party Going

by Henry Green

  Later moulder going home, his boxes cast, called to Gates saying : 'is it a good one this time Joeie?' and Mr Gates answered him it would be if his sweat was what it used to be.

  In the foundry was now sharp smell of burnt sand. Steam rose from the boxes round about. On these, in the running gates and risers, metal shone out red where it set. On Mr Craigan's huge box in which was his casting Mr Craigan and Jim Dale stood. They raised and lowered long rods into metal in the risers so as to keep the metal molten. Steam rose up round them so their legs were wet and heat from the molten metal under them made balls of sweat roll down them. Arc lamps above threw their shadows out sprawling along over the floor and as they worked rhythmically their rods up and down so their shadows worked. Mr Craigan called to Gates to take his place. He got down off the box. He sat himself on a sieve and wiped his face. And all this time as the metal set and contracted down in casting so metal which they kept molten by disturbing it with their rods, sank in the risers down to the casting. So their strength ebbed after the hard day. Mr Craigan's face was striped with black dust which had stuck to his face and which the sweat, in running down his face, had made in stripes. He put hands up over his face and laid weight of his head on them, resting elbows on his knees.

  Continuing conversation Mrs Dupret said to her son well she was sorry it could not be then, she had so wanted they should have one quiet evening together, well it would have to be another time. He said some other time. Immediately he thought: 'When I am with her I echo as a landscape by Claude echoes.' She yawned. She said it was so boring discussing engagements and he answered he thought planning the evenings most important part of the day. Immediately, as was his custom, he analysed this and thought very clever what he had said, and correct.

  She yawned and said she was tired, season was so busy.

  He said he was tired, last night had been late.

  'Whose dance dear?'

  'The White's. I was back at four. And tonight it will be late again,' he said. 'I take Mary on to Prince's after Mrs James' dance.'

  They went in to dinner, Mrs Dupret and her son. Butler and footman brought soup to them.

  'James' said Mrs Dupret after searching 'I left my handkerchief upstairs' and footman went to get this.

  'Now this is very unexpected' she said to son, 'Emily threw me over and here you are when I thought we were never going to have our quiet evening together.'

  'Dolly chucked me. I'm tired. It's so tiring in the train.'

  'Yes trains are very uncomfortable now. You went to the works at Birmingham today didn't you? Tell me about it'

  'Well there's nothing to tell really. I'd never been before you know. It was all grimy and tiring. It was so dirty there that I had to have a bath as soon as I was back before going out to tea somewhere. Where did I go for tea now? But no matter, yes, the works, yes you know there's a kind of romance about it or perhaps it's only romantic. In the iron foundry the castings, they call them, were very moving. And there was a fellow there who had a beautiful face, really beautiful, he was about my age...'

  (He went on talking and she thought how true when she had told Grizel he was really so appreciative.)

  '... but it was pretty boring on the whole.'

  'Tell me' she said with fish before her, 'are you still happy in the London office?'

  'It's all right, but of course I can't do anything. You can't shift Father, he's set in his ways and the others are like him, you've no idea of it, they've had no fresh blood in the show for years. Look at Bridges the manager at Birmingham, he's an old man, so's Walters our head man in London, they all are. A man came up to me in the works just now and said as much, he'd be Tarver I expect, he's about the only coming younger chap in the place. You see Father's all right in his way only he's slow, but he hasn't the time with all his other business.' And while he talked she thought what a success it had turned out, putting him into business.

  'What we want in the place is some go and push' he said 'but it's what none of them seem to realize.'

  She smiled and had occasion to sniff. 'Where can James have got to' she cried, breaking into his argument 'I sent him for a handkerchief while we were at the soup, and here we are in the middle of the fish.'

  She pushed button of bell; this was in onyx. She laid hand by it on table and diamonds on her rings glittered together with white metal round onyx button under the electric light. Electric light was like stone. He was cut short by her. He was hurt at it. He kept silence then.

  'Pringle,' she said to butler 'would you mind going up to see what has become of James?'

  Mr Walters was saying in Mr Bridges' office at Birmingham factory if you took average profits of all engineering firms in the country you found it was but three per cent. Mr Bridges said 'that's right, that's right.' Mr Walters went on saying were no profits anywhere, why look if they quoted for one of their big cylinders their price was double what those Belgians asked. 'It is' said Mr Bridges.

  'It's wonderful isn't it?' said Mr Walters.

  'You've got it' said Mr Bridges. 'Not as if' he said 'there isn't worry every minute either, it wasn't as if we sat still and did nothing. And you can't keep your men' he shouted. 'Whitacre now, one of the best fitters I've taught, what's he do? He goes and fakes his time. He's on a job outside and takes three days off and charges it on the firm. Says he was working. But I've got the letter here, from their manager, complaining 'e wouldn't stay on the job. I sacked him, had to. What can you do? Then I go into the latrines, what do I run into, more trouble two robbers sitting on the seat, without even their trousers off, smoking. I said to them 'You might as well go straight to the chief's back pocket and take the money from it.' That's right isn't it? I'm going to put a honest man on at the door to clock 'em in and out, seven minutes each man. And one of them was the crane driver in the machine shop, a key man. Then when I sack that Whitacre Tarver comes to me and says I did it to spite 'imself. To spite him! Said he was the only one could do his work. But I never get his work, that's where it is, I never get it down from the drawing office, I've been standing my thumbs tied for a drawing seven weeks now. What can you do, eh? 'E's no good.'

  'I don't know Arthur, we've got to be careful. Young Mr Dupret thinks well of him, and his father does.'

  'What's the young chap know of it?'

  'I know but don't you forget he's the one the old man sees most often. If he was in his pram I'd still treat him like a lord. What do you know he tells the old man about us, the old man don't come into the office often now. He's getting shaky, he might be run into by a bus, with this circular traffic you're lucky if you get away with it crossing the street. He'll leave it all to his son soon.'

  'And I've served 'im faithfully for fifteen years. It's a nightmare. Where am I, eh? Where do I stand then, tell me that.'

  Mrs Eames put cold new potato into her mouth.

  'Ain't they good' said she.

  'They are' he said.

  'Better'n what you could get up the road or if you took a tram up into town.'

  'There's none like your own.'

  So for a time they ate supper. She sat on then looking out of window. When she turned and put hands on table to get up and clear away supper she noticed those flowers.

  'Why look' said she 'you brought 'em back from the garden only yesterday and I put them in that pot, and now all their faces've turned to the sun.'

  5

  Water dripped from tap on wall into basin and into water there. Sun. Water drops made rings in clear coloured water. Sun in there shook on the walls and ceiling. As rings went out round trembling over the water shadows of light from sun in these trembled on walls. On the ceiling.

  They came back from work. Mr Joe Gates was speaking.

  'Ah and didn't I tell that foreman only a month or two back it would go, silly cow keeping on using it till it went. "It's dangerous" I said to 'im "it's dangerous it'll go one of these days" I said "you see, it's all wore away that wire rope is and the block too, look at it, being lo
psided like that, it ain't safe." And he said "What business is it of yourn?" and I said "Ain't my life my business with a daughter to keep at 'ome" and 'e said one of these days 'ed get on a line about me so I sheered off then, it doesn't serve no purpose to lose a job through just talking, might as well lose it for something better'n that, knock 'is bloody 'ead off.'

  Mr Craigan washed first in basin. Lily Gates came in then.

  'D'you know what nearly came to pass Lily, it were nearly all up with 'im, ah, the wire rope parted when they were pulling out the trolley with it from the core stove. Ah and it dain't miss 'im but by inches.'

  Lily Gates went to basin and stood there by Mr Craigan.

  'Why grandad!' she said.

  'Ah and when I sees 'im standin' there I thought to meself it ain't safe standin' there, now if it went now it would get anyone as was standin' there as 'e was. Then it parted. It dain't miss 'im but by inches.'

  Mr Craigan dried face and hands. Joe Gates put head under the water in basin.

  'It weren't far off' Mr Dale said.

  'You mightn't have come back?' Lily Gates picked piece of cotton off his sleeve.

  'Don't do that my wench' Mr Craigan said 'I can still do that for meself.'

  'It didn't ought to be' said Mr Gates, drying face.

  'They did ought to look to them things and not wait till you complain to 'em about it and then do nothing. With that trolley gear and with the boxes you've got to wait for 'em to go before they change them and when a box breaks when the crane's carrying it the feller underneath, why think of it, flat, when I was working at Grey's I seen a feller catch a six by four box on top of 'im and when they lifted it it was just like they'd mangled 'im, 'orrible, like as if they'd mangled 'im, like they'd put a steam roller on to 'im. It's a funny thing to get a living by ain't it?'

  Once she had said to Mrs Eames she had said it made you ridiculous she had said walking with Jim, yes she had said that to Mrs Eames, when he looked odd like that, daft you might say, she had gone far as that even, dafty with his eyes yes, she had said, yes and with the girls tittering behind him it made you feel awkward to be with him and Mrs Eames had said she shouldn't be so touchy, not she meant you shouldn't be particular so she said, but touchy it only brought you trouble in this world so your life wasn't your own, that's how she thought so she had said. Now walking with Dale Lily thought that. Girls tittering behind not that he was posh. Not as if they would like to be with him, but for his being strange.

  She wasn't the giggling sort. No.

  So it wasn't hardly respectable going up the street with him, drawing so much notice.

  (He had on bowler hat, high, high crown. Thousands walked along broad pavements of this big street in bowler hats with high, high crowns, in sun, in evening.)

  He didn't ever speak either.

  (She walked with him, arm round his arm. Party in front, four girls four young men, the girls on one pavement men on the other side, two parties but one at same time, these did Charleston dance along pavements.)

  'What d'you think of that?' she said.

  'Ah' said he.

  'It mightn't be a public place where they can see you for all they take notice of she said 'be'aving as if they was in their favourite dance 'all; it's funny what people are coming to these days' she said.

  They walked on, said no more. He was pale. Many were laughing, screeching, not at him really, perhaps partly, but it was Friday night.

  She then had to sneeze. As she sneezed Mr Dale called out: 'Ello.'

  She said: 'Yes it's me sneezing, I know that thank you.'

  'Ello' he said to Mr Bert Jones who had come up.

  'Oh' she said.

  ' 'Ow do Jim, I hear your old man very near 'ad a nasty accident last night.'

  'Ah and it was a near go and all. 'Ow d'you come to 'ear?'

  'Oh someone round at the club. So you 'eard about my being suspended for a fortnight.'

  'It's the talk of the shops. By the way you know Miss Gates would you? This is Bert Jones from our place.' Lily Gates shook hands, holding limply out hand, looking down her nose.

  'I believe we've met before' said Mr Jones. He had on plum coloured suit, trousers were cone-shaped.

  'And it was Jim here introduced us' said Miss Gates furiously.

  'Now I come to think on it it would be' Mr Dale said.

  'I remembered right enough' said Mr Jones.

  'Did you?'

  'It's the talk of the shops' Mr Dale said. 'Giving you a fortnight's 'oliday and not doing the same by Aaron.'

  'Ah it's a firm ain't it. Twisting, twisting all the time. And by all I 'ear what nearly made your old man a goner was the fault of their never getting new equipment. It's the same old tale, in our shop anyway.'

  'You're right. I don't know if you knows your way about a foundry but we 'as to dry some moulds before the metal can be poured into 'em. They're put on a trolley, see, and the crane pulls it into the stove with a wire rope. Well the wire rope give. Ah, it parted right at the top, mate, right by the eye and whipped out not above a foot away from our old man. It's wicked I reckon.'

  'No, they don't give you a square deal. If you work for them they ought to see you can do it with a decent amount of safety.'

  'Yes' said Lily Gates. 'I think it's a shame, yes, I do.'

  That's right. And you can't get a job outside, that's where it is. So we've got to put up with it and there it is. But you know 'erbert Tomson, well 'e's going to Australia,' but Mr Dale was not listening. ' 'E's a feller that works in the fitters. I don't know. They tell me there's not a great many jobs going there.'

  ' 'Ere you don't mind' Dale said suddenly. 'See you in the park' he said pointing across road and quickly went off.

  'Well that's a bit sudden.'

  'It's his digestion you see' said Miss Gates.

  'Ah.'

  'It comes over him all of a sudden, yes, no matter where 'e may be' she said furiously.

  'But that's a bad bit of news about your old man.'

  'Yes' she said. 'There'd still've been breadwinners in the house,' she said, 'but where we'd've been without 'im I don't know at all. We all live by Mr Craigan.'

  'All the men in the place respect 'im.'

  ' 'E's been like a father to me. And now I shan't lie quiet in my bed at night for thinking harm'll come to 'im.'

  'Ah.'

  They stood silent.

  'Look 'ere' he said 'shall we go across the road into the park' he said 'and wait for Jim there?'

  'Oh! I shouldn't like to.'

  'Go on. I got nothing on tonight.'

  'I don't like to bother you like that. You go on, I'll wait here.'

  'Get out. It's a pleasure.'

  'Oh well it's nicer in the park isn't it?'

  They crossed the road.

  'We went to the Lickeys Sunday' she said.

  'It's nice there isn't it.'

  'Yes, and don't they keep the roads beautiful with the grass in between them and the trams going one road and cars t'other. Yes it's a pleasure to be there of a Sunday afternoon. I'd say I saw quite seven from our street up there. And only a 6d bus ride.'

  'Ah, it's worth a tanner every time.'

  'Yes it is. Yes we all went there last Sunday. Mr Craigan said 'e'd like a bit of fresh air after all the hot weather we've been 'aving so we packed up and went. I cut steps of bread and cheese that we took with us, oh we did 'ave a time.'

  'I reckon it was a good thing when the Corporation took it over, giving the people somewhere to go on a Sunday.'

  'Yes because you can get right out into the country and get the fresh air. You know where we live there's a factory where they make phosphor bronze they call it, I don't mean they make only that but when they're making it the fumes come down into our 'ouse when the winds is one way and the fumes is awful. I wonder the poor fellows can stick it inside.'

  'It's terrible stuff by all accounts.'

  'Yes. Of course we could live in a better part than we do now but Mr Craigan
won't live in another man's house, yes that's what he says isn't it funny, and 'e bought this one years back and he wouldn't change now for love nor money. I keep 'ouse for them. Of course it's very lonely sometimes, there being no one much to talk to while they're all out at work. Yes sometimes I wish I could go outside into a factory but Mr Craigan won't hear of it, yes, isn't it funny. He won't 'ear of it. Still I get along I suppose like we all do.'

  'It must be lonely at times.'

  'It isn't as if you don't soon get used to that though, don't you.'

  'I'm glad that accident didn't turn out any worse for 'im. Did 'e seem at all affected by it.'

  'No but 'e'd never show you you know. But isn't it a shame about your being suspended, well I never.'

  'I thought I'd lose you' Mr Dale said coming up 'seeing it's dark in this park. Lil' he said 'we ought to be going 'ome or the old man won't like it.'

  'I'd better be getting along' said Mr Jones and they said goodnight then and went their ways.

  'Where'd you go?' she said. 'There ain't no public lavatorv for miles round 'ere.'

  'In the Horse and Lion.'

  'Well what about it?'

  'What about what?'

  'Work.'

  'How's that?'

  So began Mr Bridges to Tarver, so Tarver answered him. That's how he answers me thought Bridges. Then Mr Bridges said he didn't see Tarver got through anything, couldn't go on like that, here he'd been six weeks for those drawings, and Tarver said what about Bumpus was it his fault he'd gone to bed and not got up since. Mr Bridges said couldn't he do work without Bumpus and Tarver said what did he mean.

  'I mean what I speak.'

  'What's that?'

  Bridges said Tarver not to be gay with him, he was general manager, people could think they were fine, fine, but he was general manager, was no one disputed that, and what he said was what went through in this firm. Mr Tarver said what he had meant was he hadn't heard. Bridges went on not listening that he'd soon see who stuck himself up against him, whatever friends that one had in London office, he and his friends he'd see who was general manager, while Tarver speaking at same time said what he'd meant saying was pardon me, I could not hear you, girls in office make such noise giggling.