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workmen, who were not working illegally; but that half was now half
again. The foreman had stared him out.
It
was not the usual foreman,
who was sick: this man had come the day before yesterday off another
job, to fill in. The men had stood around, watching, their faces kept
expressionless. They had been expecting him to complain, make a fuss,
even start a fight; they had had their eyes on his big arms and fists. But
Ben knew better: he would get the worst of it. He had looked carefully
around, from face to face, and had seen them waiting, and had seen, too,
that one at least was sorry for him. This man had said something in a
low voice to the new foreman, who had simply turned his back and
walked away-with the money due to Ben in his own pocket.
On this site, at this place, Ben was owed forty pounds. Yes, the real
foreman was there. He was standing a little apart from the others,
who were uncoiling cable off a big spool. Ben went down. He saw that
first one, and then another, of the men saw him and stopped. The one
who had spoken up for him said something to the foreman. What Ben
wanted was for that money simply to be given to him and then he
could run-he was afraid of these men. Any single one of them he
could knock down with a jerk of his elbow, a slap of his hand, but
they could all set on him, and that was what made him shiver a little
as he stood there. His hair was standing up all over his body. The fore–
man stood, thinking, then turned half away, pulled out a wad of
money, counted some out, gave Ben twenty. And now they all looked
to see what he would do, but he did nothing, only walked away. Yet
it was here that he had earned money, and had hoped he would again.
If
he did work here he could expect one or all of them to take his
money, and the foreman to cheat him. He turned at the foot of the
path up out of the site and saw them uncoiling the cable, still watch–
ing him. Up he went, out of their way. He went to Mimosa House. The
lift was silent, because it was out of order. Ben went bounding up the
stairs, full of happiness because of seeing the old woman. But when he
knocked on the door, there was no reply.
A woman opened her door across the landing, and said, "She's gone
to the doctor." She had the key to the flat, Ben knew that. She and the
old woman were friends, and she had often seen Ben going in or out.
Now she opened the door for Ben, saying, "She'll be back soon. There's
no saying how long she'll have to wait. She's poorly. I told her she had
to get to the doctor."
Inside, the usually tidy room was disordered. For one thing, the bed
had just been pulled up hastily. On it the cat started from sleep, its fur
high. Ben did not rummage in the fridge: he hated the cold taste of food
