When among his cronies he was in the habit of referring to his obesity as the result of good nature and a contented mind.

Behind his back other people attributed it to beer, some even going to far as to nickname him the 'tank'.
There was no work of a noisy kind being done this morning.

Both the carpenters and the bricklayers having been taken away, temporarily, to another 'job'.

At the same time there was not absolute silence: occasionally Crass could hear the voices of the other workmen as they spoke to each other, sometimes shouting from one room to another.

Now and then Harlow's voice rang through the house as he sang snatches of music-hall songs or a verse of a Moody and Sankey hymn, and occasionally some of the others joined in the chorus or interrupted the singer with squeals and catcalls.