Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Benno's eyes swivelled around the interior of the shop until they encountered those

of Gabriel standing behind the counter. He quickly removed his face from the glass

and came in."I been looking for you, Gabby," he said. "You told me at the Cup you was working for

that feller in the music shop. I went round there asking for you and he booted me

out.He said you'd cleared off and he thought you'd gone to work for another feller in

an land agency. This is the third one I been to. How are yer? Gimme a quid outta me

money," He went on. "I need a drink, me tongue's as dry as wombat's arse. I

should'nt’ve give you all that money. I was up all night working on a ship and I got a

raging thirst. Better make it a coupl'a quid and then I won't have to come back this

arvo." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and waited expectantly.

"Two pounds," said Fox shocked. "You only gave me thirty three. If I gave you two

quid every time you asked for it it would be gone in less than a month."

"It's my money," retorted Benno "If I want to go and have a drink with me own money

I don't reckon anyone can stop me."

"Well, you can't! You're investing in houses and land now, because I'm using your

money to buy my way in. I've invested it for you, Benno, you told me to. Now you'll

have to wait for your investment to come good; just like everyone else."

Benno was astonished. "D'ye mean I'm buyin' houses?" He looked round at the neat,

new office with surprise and pleasure. "Well, I never thought I'd end up partner in an

agency business. Have you sold anything yet?"

"Only a draper's shop in Elizabeth Street," was the casual answer," and we're talking

to a builder about putting up some streets of houses. That's where you come in."

Benno pulled a face and whistled silently. "Gawd, you're a bit of a goer aren't yer? Yer

come to Melbourne Mondy, have a win at the Cup on Tuesdy, throw up yer new job

Wensdy, and now you're in here and sellin' shops and buildin' houses."

"Melbourne's that kind of place."

Benno shrugged. "It never took me that way, but then I was never a cheeky new-chum

bastard straight off the boat." He said this without malice and Fox saw that he was not

meant to take offence.

"I reckon that deserves a drink if anything does. If you won't give me two quid, at

least give me two bob. It's not good for anyone to be as thirsty as I am."

Gbriel picked a coin out of his waist-coat pocket as he had done on Monday when he

first met Benno.

"I'd better look after the business," said Benno. "I'll buy a bottle and come back here

and sit behind the screen so I can hear what's going on. I can get on with me drinking

and look after the business at the same time. That's alright ," he said hurriedly, "not a

word. If anyone comes in I won't say nothin', an' I'll stay behind the screen. All they'll

hear is a glug-gluggin' sound as I downs me beer. I won't come out. If anything's goin'

to frighten the customers away it'll be the sight of old Benno waitin' to pick up his

share of the profits. No one's got to tell me that laborin's my line, not workin' in no

office."

He took the coin and went to the hotel a few doors away. Gabriel was sorry he did not

fall into bad company in the hotel for he was soon back with some beer which, after

complaints about the office not being equipped with a corkscrew, he was able to open.

After a short time Gabriel was astonished to see that his next caller was Mr. Gladman.

The gentleman did not announce his presence by such an uncouth action as pressing

his nose against the glass, but he must have been distraught because he had come out

without his hat. Gabriel was astonished at this sight, for no man in Mr. Gladman's

position would walk around the streets of the city without any headwear at all.

He came into the shop, not in anger as at their meeting, but with a conciliatory air. He

would have removed his hat but seemed surprised at not finding it in the usual place.

"I came out quite hurriedly," he said. "The shop is shut and has been so for at least

half an hour." He pulled his watch out of a waistcoat pocket and snapped the cover

open to see the time. "I must return as soon as possible. In these difficult days one

does not leave a business unattended if it can possibly be avoided. How are you Mr.

Fox? I trust you are well." He clasped his hands under the tails of his coat, beamed at

Fox, and tried unsuccessfully to appear quite at his ease.

Gabriel intimated that he was very well and in fact no great change had taken place in

his state since they had parted the day before.

Mr. Gladman was greatly relieved on receipt of this piece of information; or at least so

he said. He, like Benno, had apparently tried several estate agents before finding the

right one.

Here they were at a loss for Mr. Gladman was reluctant to come to the point of his

visit and, unlike his usual grave self-possession, he seemed nervous and unsure.

"If it's my wages you're concerned about," said Fox, "Don't give it another thought."

Even while speaking he realized this was probably the least likely reason for Mr.

Gladman to search Swanston Street for him. He persisted in this subject because it

seemed better to say something rather than they should stand looking at one another.

"Don't worry about paying me. I was with you such a short time it hardly seems

necessary."

"Of course I shall pay you," replied Mr. Gladman unexpectedly. "The labourer is

worthy of his hire. If one works in the vineyard one is entitled to a little share of the

fruit." From his pocket came a small leather purse with a snap clasp. This he opened

It to produce a guinea which he handed to the astonished young man.

"I have had several people in the shop who inquired for you," he said. "I wish you had

been there this morning. Those elders came back; the ones that paid a deposit on the

organ; and they changed to a smaller one. I tried my best to persuade them to

continue with the original offer but they were adamant. I feel that if you had been

there you would have convinced them of the merits of the larger instrument. The one

that they are going to take now is a good £20 less. Really, that was most disappointing

-- and after all your excellent work, too."

Gabriel saw what his former employer was driving at. The man went on, "I have given

much thought to the matter. Perhaps we were both impetuous yesterday and on

reflection I feel that it could well be my civic duty to give employment to newcomers

who are trying to make their way in a young colony. If you wish to resume your post

in the shop I shall be generous. I am prepared to discuss a reasonable salary and your

future prospects. And, if I may be permitted to say of myself I doubt that you would

find many employers who would make such an offer after the difficulties we have

experienced this week."

Mr. Gladman was disappointed. Gabriel stated that there was no chance of him

coming back to work at the music shop. He could see that Mr. Gladman had learned

that a competent salesman would make a considerable difference to the business.

Mr. Gladman realized that the young man was permanently lost to music but

remained affable in spite of his disappointment. "You will be coming out on Sunday

to our service? The Brethren will raise a great hosanna of triumph when they learn

the joyful news that you are donating your money to fund our missionary activities."

It was soon clear that this was another disappointment that he would have to live

with. There would be no joyful chanting emanating from the Chapel of the Brethren

that Sunday, nor any Sunday, not if they were waiting for Gabriel's gift.

On hearing this Mr. Gladman's face became like a thundercloud. "What of the Scarlet

Woman?" he declaimed in a loud voice. It was a question that the young man was

unable to answer because he could not see it relevance to anything they had been

discussing.

It seemed Mr. Gladman did not require an answer, only agreement. It was the opening

of one of his sermons and he was now haranguing Fox in an effort to change his mind.

"We are all warriors," he trumpeted, "In the battle against the false doctrines of the

Scarlet Woman. You, Mr. Fox, have the opportunity to sacrifice your money in the

sacred cause of rescuing poor helpless souls from the snares of the papists. Do you

know that popish priests go about India like raging lions seeking for souls that they

might devour. You think we have a problem here with Irish immigrants coming

amongst us to challenge the true faith. Well, we labourers are few but we labour

unceasingly and pluck a soul from the burning now and then, but in India or China the

work of the Catholics goes on apace and who can say them nay If we do not send out

strong and vigilant protestant missionaries to rescue the poor Indians from the

clutches of the papists ----"

He would have gone on for some time but for being interrupted by the crash of a

falling chair behind the screen and the sudden appearance of Benno in a rage. It had

taken Benno a little while to understand what Mr. Gladman was talking about. At first

he had listened to the sermon with approval until he realized its nature.

"Yer don't like Micks, eh?" he roared, "Well, me Mum and Dad were Irish and they

were sent to this country by the likes of you. I'm a Mick, look at me! and I'm going to

stoush you, mate, even if I do six moons at the stockade. it'll be worth it!" He was

clutching at the flap of the counter while saying this and Fox was the same time

throwing his weight on it to hold it down. They struggled for a moment while Mr.

Gladman retreated in disorder to the door.

"Let me at 'im," Benno was saying. "I'll drop the greasy faced old bastard in his tracks.

If I don't flatten him I'll never say another Hail Mary in me life."

"I don't think my friend likes you, Mr. Gladman,'' cried Gabriel. 'You'd better leave."

He now had Benno by the braces to stop him leaping over the counter.

Mr. Gladman took one last, horrified look which confirmed in his mind the reality of

the Irish menace. Later, when his thoughts settled, he would be able to include in his

story the tale of how he defied the Fenians to do their worst. In the meantime he

accepted Gabriel's advice and fled. It was another triumph for the Catholic

missionaries in India, though they never knew anything about it.

"Old bastard!" said Benno, still raging. "If he comes in one morning and finds a brick

through the shop window he'll know it's a present from the local Micks. I won't be

able to face me mates at St Francis' next Sunday if I don't clock him one where it'll do

the most good. How can I go to confession if I have to say I let him get away with all

that?"

"Don't be a fool!" Fox was holding Benno firmly where his braces buttoned to the

back of his trousers. "You'll go up for twelve months at least if you punch him on the

nose. They're not going to put up with a wharf labourer fighting a shop-keeper, and

you an Irish Catholic, too. Have some sense, man. Forget it!"

"I won't forget it," retorted Benno, shrugging himself away from his friend's grip.

"There are too many people tryin' to keep us Micks down. We're not going to put up

with it forever." His rage had passed by this time, but not his anger. "Gimme another

two bob. I need some more beer to steady me nerves."

Fox doubted whether Benno should have any more to drink. He might be drunk

enough to go round and assault Mr. Gladman in his shop, or throw a brick through his

windows, both equally disastrous ways of trying to solve Protestant and Catholic

religious differences.

He gave him sixpence. "That's it, not a penny more, no matter how thirsty you get.

You drink it in the pub and go home; and if I hear of any trouble round at the music

shop you needn't come back here again because I won't help you."

"A zac!" said Benno, with enormous contempt for the lowly coin. "A bloody zac! Is

that all I'm gunna get? All you've give me is half a dollar out of me own money. I can't

get drunk on that. \Gimme an oxford otherwise I don't get drunk and the money's

just wasted. What's the use of being only half pissed? There's no fun in that."

While not prepared to argue with the logic of Benno's view of intoxication Gabriel was

certainly not going to give any more than the proffered sixpence and for the sake of

the reputation of the estate agency it was urgent to get him off the premises before

any clients walked in.

A half-drunk, disputatious wharf-laborer who claimed to have a financial interest in

the business and was difficult to eject was, perhaps, not the best advertisement for

the fledgling firm of Pryor and Fox.

Gabriel thrust the despised sixpence into his hand and was about to bundle him out of

the door when he saw someone else coming in.

He made a quick about-turn and thrusting Benno before him he pushed him into the

screened off section at the back of the shop and left him disheveled and shaken on

the chair with his hat over his eyes.

There were quick, muttered, but savage threats of what would happen if he should reappear or make sound or movement during the next ten minutes. Fox left him to attend to this new client.