Rushton felt rather sick over this affair, but he consoled himself by reflecting that he had got clear away with several valuable rose trees and other plants which he had stolen out of the garden, and that a ladder which had been discovered in the hayloft over the stable and taken - by his instructions - to the `yard' when the `job' was finished had not been missed.
Another circumstance which helped to compensate for the blinds was that the brass fittings throughout the house, finger-plates, sash-lifts and locks, bolts and door handles, which were supposed to be all new and which the customer had paid a good price for - were really all the old ones which Misery had had re-lacquered and refixed.
There was nothing unusual about this affair of the blinds, for Rushton and Misery robbed everybody.They made a practice of annexing every thing they could lay their hands upon, provided it could be done without danger to themselves.They never did anything of a heroic or dare-devil character: they had not the courage to break into banks or jewellers' shops in the middle of the night, or to go out picking pockets: all their robberies were of the sneak-thief order.
At one house that they `did up' Misery made a big haul.He had to get up into the loft under the roof to see what was the matter with the water tank.When he got up there he found a very fine hall gas lamp made of wrought brass and copper with stained and painted glass sides.
Although covered with dust, it was otherwise in perfect condition, so Misery had it taken to his own house and cleaned up and fixed in the hail.
In the same loft there were a lot of old brass picture rods and other fittings, and three very good planks, each about ten feet in length;these latter had been placed across the rafters so that one could walk easily and safely over to the tank.But Misery thought they would be very useful to the firm for whitewashing ceilings and other work, so he had them taken to the yard along with the old brass, which was worth about fourpence a pound.
There was another house that had to be painted inside: the people who used to live there had only just left: they had moved to some other town, and the house had been re-let before they vacated it.The new tenant had agreed with the agent that the house was to be renovated throughout before he took possession.
The day after the old tenants moved away, the agent gave Rushton the key so that he could go to see what was to be done and give an estimate for the work.
While Rushton and Misery were looking over the house they discovered a large barometer hanging on the wall behind the front door: it had been overlooked by those who removed the furniture.Before returning the key to the agent, Rushton sent one of his men to the house for the barometer, which he kept in his office for a few weeks to see if there would be any inquiries about it.If there had been, it would have been easy to say that he had brought it there for safety - to take care of till he could find the owner.The people to whom it belonged thought the thing had been lost or stolen in transit, and afterwards one of the workmen who had assisted to pack and remove the furniture was dismissed from his employment on suspicion of having had something to do with its disappearance.No one ever thought of Rushton in connection with the matter, so after about a month he had it taken to his own dwelling and hung up in the hall near the carved oak marble-topped console table that he had sneaked last summer from 596Grand Parade.
And there it hangs unto this day: and close behind it, supported by cords of crimson silk, is a beautiful bevelled-edged card about a foot square, and upon this card is written, in letters of gold: `Christ is the head of this house; the unseen Guest at every meal, the silent Listener to every conversation.'
And on the other side of the barometer is another card of the same kind and size which says: `As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.'
From another place they stole two large brass chandeliers.This house had been empty for a very long time, and its owner - who did not reside in the town - wished to sell it.The agent, to improve the chances of a sale, decided to have the house overhauled and redecorated.Rushton & Co.'s tender being the lowest, they got the work.The chandeliers in the drawing-room and the dining-room were of massive brass, but they were all blackened and tarnished.Misery suggested to the agent that they could be cleaned and relacquered, which would make them equal to new: in fact, they would be better than new ones, for such things as these were not made now, and for once Misery was telling the truth.The agent agreed and the work was done:
it was an extra, of course, and as the firm got twice as much for the job as they paid for having it done, they were almost satisfied.
When this and all the other work was finished they sent in their account and were paid.
Some months afterwards the house was sold, and Nimrod interviewed the new proprietor with the object of securing the order for any work that he might want done.He was successful.The papers on the walls of several of the rooms were not to the new owner's taste, and, of course, the woodwork would have to be re-painted to harmonize with the new paper.There was a lot of other work besides this: a new conservatory to build, a more modern bath and heating apparatus to be put in, and the electric light to be installed, the new people having an objection to the use of gas.
The specifications were prepared by an architect, and Rushton secured the work.When the chandeliers were taken down, the men, instructed by Misery, put them on a handcart, and covered them over with sacks and dust-sheets and took them to the front shop, where they were placed for sale with the other stock.
