`How much longer are you going to be messing about those doors? Why
don't you get them under colour? You were fooling about there when I
was here this morning. Do you think it'll pay to have you playing
about there hour after hour with a bit of pumice stone? Get the work
done! Or if you don't want to, I'll very soon find someone else who
does! I've been noticing your style of doing things for some time
past and I want you to understand that you can't play the fool with
me. There's plenty of better men than you walking about. If you
can't do more than you've been doing lately you can clear out; we can
do without you even when we're busy.'

Old Jack trembled. He tried to answer, but was unable to speak. If
he had been a slave and had failed to satisfy his master, the latter
might have tied him up somewhere and thrashed him. Hunter could not
do that; he could only take his food away. Old Jack was frightened -
it was not only HIS food that might be taken away. At last, with a
great effort, for the words seemed to stick in his throat, he said:

`I must clean the work down, sir, before I go on painting.'

`I'm not talking about what you're doing, but the time it takes you to
do it!' shouted Hunter. `And I don't want any back answers or argument
about it. You must move yourself a bit quicker or leave it alone
altogether.'

Linden did not answer: he went on with his work, his hand trembling to
such an extent that he was scarcely able to hold the pumice stone.

Hunter shouted so loud that his voice filled all the house. Everyone