Little good, you will say, such a sermon from such a perverse, bad-humoured preacher as Reginald Cruden, could do! Very likely, reader; but, after all, who are you or I to say so? Had any one told Reginald a week ago what would be taking place to-day, he would have coloured up indignantly and hoped he was not quite such a prig as all that. As it was, when it was all over, it was with no self-satisfied smile or inward gratulation that he returned to his work, but rather with the nervous uncomfortable misgivings of one who says to himself,—
“After all I may have done more harm than good.”
By the end of a fortnight Reginald, greatly to Mr Durfy’s dissatisfaction, was an accomplished compositor. He could set-up almost as quickly as Gedge, and his “proofs” showed far fewer corrections. Moreover, as he was punctual in his hours, and diligent at his work, it was extremely difficult for the overseer or any one else to find any pretext for abusing him.
It is true, Mr Barber, who had not yet given up the idea of asserting his moral and intellectual superiority, continued by the ingenious device of “squabbling” his case, and tampering with the screw of his composing-stick, and other such pleasing jokes not unknown to printers, to disconcert the new beginner on one or two occasions. But ever since Reginald one morning, catching him in the act of mixing up his e’s with his a’s, had carried him by the collar of his coat and the belt of his breeches to the water tank and dipped his head therein three times with no interval for refreshment between, Mr Barber had moderated his attentions and become less exuberant in his humour.
With the exception of Gedge, now his fast ally, Reginald’s other fellow-workmen concerned themselves very little with his proceedings. One or two, indeed, noticing his proficiency, hinted to him that he was a fool to work for the wages he was getting, and some went so far as to say he had no right to do so, and had better join the “chapel” to save trouble.
What the “chapel” was Reginald did not trouble even to inquire, and replied curtly that it was no business of any one else what his wages were.
“Wasn’t it?” said the deputation. “What was to become of them if fellows did their work for half wages, they should like to know?”
“Are you going off, or must I make you?” demanded Reginald, feeling he had had enough of it.
And the deputation, remembering Barber’s head and the water tank, withdrew, very much perplexed what to do to uphold the dignity of the “chapel.”