CHAPTER II

Tradesmen and the scraper still troublesome.  Gowing rather tiresome with his complaints of the paint.  I make one of the best jokes of my life.  Delights of Gardening.  Mr. Stillbrook, Gowing, Cummings, and I have a little misunderstanding.  Sarah makes me look a fool before Cummings

April 9.—­Commenced the morning badly.  The butcher, whom we decided not to arrange with, called and blackguarded me in the most uncalled-for manner.  He began by abusing me, and saying he did not want my custom.  I simply said:  “Then what are you making all this fuss about it for?” And he shouted out at the top of his voice, so that all the neighbours could hear:  “Pah! go along.  Ugh!  I could buy up ‘things’ like you by the dozen!”

I shut the door, and was giving Carrie to understand that this disgraceful scene was entirely her fault, when there was a violent kicking at the door, enough to break the panels.  It was the blackguard butcher again, who said he had cut his foot over the scraper, and would immediately bring an action against me.  Called at Farmerson’s, the ironmonger, on my way to town, and gave him the job of moving the scraper and repairing the bells, thinking it scarcely worth while to trouble the landlord with such a trifling matter.

Arrived home tired and worried.  Mr. Putley, a painter and decorator, who had sent in a card, said he could not match the colour on the stairs, as it contained Indian carmine.  He said he spent half-a-day calling at warehouses to see if he could get it.  He suggested he should entirely repaint the stairs.  It would cost very little more; if he tried to match it, he could only make a bad job of it.  It would be more satisfactory to him and to us to have the work done properly.  I consented, but felt I had been talked over.  Planted some mustard-and-cress and radishes, and went to bed at nine.

April 10.—­Farmerson came round to attend to the scraper himself.  He seems a very civil fellow.  He says he does not usually conduct such small jobs personally, but for me he would do so.  I thanked him, and went to town.  It is disgraceful how late some of the young clerks are at arriving.  I told three of them that if Mr. Perkupp, the principal, heard of it, they might be discharged.

Pitt, a monkey of seventeen, who has only been with us six weeks, told me “to keep my hair on!” I informed him I had had the honour of being in the firm twenty years, to which he insolently replied that I “looked it.”  I gave him an indignant look, and said:  “I demand from you some respect, sir.”  He replied:  “All right, go on demanding.”  I would not argue with him any further.  You cannot argue with people like that.  In the evening Gowing called, and repeated his complaint about the smell of paint.  Gowing is sometimes very tedious with his remarks, and not always cautious; and Carrie once very properly reminded him that she was present.