The Black Moon (11 page)

drier inside. Come you in.'

Sam had no doubt as to the subject of Odgers's visit. He led the way into the dark little cottage, and after a moment's hostile hesitation, Odgers followed. He looked about at the oblong room with its crude chairs, many of, them knocked ,together out of driftwood or pieces of timber from the mine. On a table at the end a bible lay open, and Odgers noticed with distaste that the chairs were arranged in three rows facing the table. On a. wooden board on the wall was written, `Be ye saved in Christ'.

Sam towered over the little parson. 'Do ee sit down, sur. I be that pleased to welcome another man of God into our home.'

The phrase was not well judged to start the conversation
on a happy note. Odgers said
`This is not
a
parochial
call.

“Carne. I
think that i
s your name. I believe you are a new
comer in this district.'

`Six months gone the Lord directed
our steps into this parish, brother and me. We d'love and worship Christ every Sabbath in your church regular.' Sam's sad young face creased into a smile.

`Yes' said Odgers. 'Well, yes, so you do.' He was not by nature a belligerent man, having had neither the money nor the breeding necessary to nurture arrogance; but he had received his instruction. 'I have
seen you there, you and your
friends, and it was about this that I come to speak to you. Yesterday before the service you sang - you sang and chanted for ten minutes in a way that was unbecoming to the dignity of the church and to my position as a clerk in holy orders. You
-
you and your group
-
arrive, every week, sit together and behave as if you were holding a private service within a service!'

'Ah? T'was not our intention, sur. We come together
-
as you
d'say - and sit together and sing together, to bear witness to our conversion to the gospel of Christ, to show as we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. We all -'

'You speak of conversion to the gospel of Christ, yet you and all your sect have repeatedly sought to undermine the church of Christ, have you not, to subvert its holy doctrines and to set up rival and revolutionary practices. There can be little doubt that you and your sort set out to overthrow law and order and the proper teaching of God in his ordained
and consecrated houses!'

Mr Odgers had begun weakly but had gathered strength as he went on. George's prejudices had set fire to his own. He put his fingers through the buttons of his waistcoat and took a deep breath to continue, when Sam interrupted him.

`Now, sur, you're being very hot 'bout we, but what you d'say edn true -
not the truth as it is in Jesus. Never by no thought, word or deed do we nor any of our like seek to overthrow holy doctrines
-
we seek to embrace them where the
y been all but forgot! By true
repentance and acknowledgment of our sins we discover God's mercies as manifested in Christ Jesus. Which be open to all -
every
man
jack of us who can come down on his kne
es and confess his faults! So h
e can lay hold of His blessing. You can, just so much as any one of us!'

You dare to say that to
me
! I who by the
l
aying on of hands have been
grunted the
authority and grace of Apostolic succession -'

`Mebbe. I don't know nothing 'bout that. But we overthrow no holy doctrines. All we d'ask is for all sinners to think on their sins and to flee from the wrath to come. We attend church, regular, seeking forgiveness and salvation in Christ. Tell us,
sur,
what there be wrong in that. We obey the precepts laid down by our honoured father, Mr Wesley, and by-'

`Ah!' said Mr Odgers, pouncing. 'Ah! There you have it. You elevate this man, this renegade preacher, and claim an authority for him that overrides the au
thority of the Anglican church
- This is just what I say
- you claim to be independent of truly consecrated governance! When you come to church
– ‘

`Ere,' said Sam, getting warm himself. `Sur,' he added as an afterthought. `And what do we find when we d'come church, now? Eh? Tis more like a market place'n a house of God. Folk chattering 'bout the price of tin. Folk saying eggs is going to be scarce come winter. Little childer active like twas a bear garden. Womenfolk
gossiping, menfolk bawling cross
the aisle. Tis no decent or seemly way
to behave. Tis as if Satan have
crept into
the holy place and made it his o
wn!,
`Satan has indeed crept in!' declared Mr Odgers. 'But not
in those who dutifully accept
the teachings of the English church. It is in persons such
as yourself who seek to over
throw due authority both in the church and in the nation! There is little to choose between rebellious sects such as yours with your independent classes and your love
feasts and your presumption of
of religious enlightenment and those Jacobin clubs which teach the ignorant rabble first equality and impertinence and disrespect for their superiors and then vile revolution which in the end denies Christ and brings all humanity down to the level of the gutter and the sewer!'

The argument continued for a time, each getting more heated but less coherent,
until Odgers stalked out of th
e house slamming the door behind him. Perhaps Sam did not improve things by
reopening the door and offering
to help Mr Odgers climb on his
borrowed
horse, help which was first angrily refused and then as angrily accepted. As the horse turned for home with Mr Odgers only half in control of it, Sam
said: I shall pray for ee, sur, every day of my life! Then he stood in the rai
n, hands on hips,, until the little man disappeared over the hill. His face
had been hot and angry,
but
as it cooled
the lines relaxed and he smiled
at hi
s tensed hands and relaxed them
too. It was not the way to behave for someone who had found Salvation.

Odgers had ended by forbidding them the church. San did not know the law but he doubted whether anyone could legally do this. There had been similar trouble once over at Illuggan. But it would be hard to continue to worship at a church in face of such hostility on the part of the parson. It could of course be done. It was the privilege of
the follower of Christ to face
persecution. But the parson's name and authority still stood for something in the eyes of many of his flock, and some would not like to go and defy him. That meant St Ermyn's at Marasanvose, You could not miss church altogether.

Drake, he knew, would be upset. Drake, for some reason, always specially looked forward to his visits to, Sawle Church and disliked St Ermyn's. Sam shrugged. Well, there would be a prayer meeting tomorrow night. No doubt the older members of his group would have something to say.

Ross saw Henshawe almost every day, but it was two months before he brought up the gossip about Wheal Leisure of which Harris Pascoe had told him in June. By now rumours were rife in the neighbourhood but so far Henshawe had not said anything.

Mid-August was three months since the last `setting day' at Wheal Grace; that was when the tributers had last bargained for pitches in the mine, agreeing to raise ore to the, surface by their own labours and at their own expense -
saving only overhead costs such as pumping water,
etc.
- in return for a proportion of the value of the ore raised. This in some mines was held as a quarterly or two monthly auction, so that the miners could bid against each other; but Ross did not like this for it often led to bad blood among the miners themselves, two men with a specially profitable pitch being subject to the undercutting bids of their neighbours. Setting
for the next three month's was theref
ore conducted between Ross and Henshawe and the men concerned quietly and peaceably over a
table, others being called in only if the men in possession could not come to an agreement with the owner and
captain.
In fact, there were no disputes this time. Most of the tributers had worked on a 12s 6d in the £ share until Christmas and had made a fat killing with the mine becoming profitable from October. Since then there had been three setting days, and twice the miners' profit percentage had been reduced, as was the custom, so that now the bargains struck ranged from 4s 6d to 6s 6d in the £. Henshawe was for pressing for a further reduction but Ross said no, let them take their p
rofits. He was doing handsomely
- and there was no
reason why the tributers should
not also do well. Besides, in an area where there was so much distress, even a few people with good money in their pockets spread their prosperity abroad.

When the last of the trib
uters were gone the two men sat
together for ten minutes going over the books, and then Ross put his question. Henshawe looked up from the pipe he was lighting and turned to study the flame of the taper before he blew it out.

`Oh, tis true enough. The main lode has dwindled to a, mere line. We've tried all ways to come upon
good ground; again but there's
been no fortune so far.'

`And the other lodes?'

`Oh, fair
enough but small, as you know. And the quality's not there. Twas the red copper that brought in the profits. Mind you, at present we can just keep going. It is turning over, keeping men employed. At the last accounting we still showed a narrow profit.'

'Ah,' said Ross. `This was what I heard as rumour.'

`I thought you would be sure to know. Tis all about. Leastwise in this district. It useless to hide it.' `But you were so asked?''

`Yes.' Henshawe stretched his big booted foot, rubbed some of the sandy clay
off it with the other boot. `I
was perplexed whether or no I should tell you, but when something be decided at one mine, then I reckon you must abide by what has been agreed. But the nex
t ticketing will show it all.'

`What is the share holding now?'

`Mr George Warleggan has taken over Mr Coke's ninety.

All a
long, of course, Coke was naught but, a figurehead. Mr Cary Warleggan has bought, in Mr Pearce's thirty. The others are not changed.'

`So they own the half. It is an interesting situation, Henshawe. But for the fact that my friends own the other half I would be greatly diverted.'

`And most of your friends still work in it,' said Henshawe.

`Yes. I am glad it is still in profit.'

Next day by hand Ross received a letter which was an invitation to dinner at a house a few miles outside Truro. It was from
a man called Ralph-Allen
Daniell, whom he had met only a few times in all. Once when he was struggling to maintain the existence of the Carnmore Copper Company, Daniell had offered him some disinterested assistance in obtaining parts for the smelting works. And then little over, a month ago, at the last tin ticketing, Daniell ha
d been one of a group with him
coming out of the Red Lion together, and afterwards they had walked through the streets talking.

Daniell was a very rich merchant, middle-aged, comfortable, well thought of, who had had no need to align himself with anyone, since his interests were wide enough to guaran
tee
his independence and his innate caution saw no v
irtue in taking sides. He was a great-nephew
of Ralph Allen, the innkeeper's lad from St
Blazey who had gone up country
to, make his fortune and become a philanthropist in Bath. Daniell had ambitions to copy his namesake: he had already given a number of benefactions
to charities in Cornwall and
recently he had bought 500 acres on the banks of the Fal an
d was building a mansion there.
The invitation was to dinner at the new house. Ross suspected that this was probably one of a series of receptions Daniell was giving to show it off.

The invitation was shown to Demelza.

'It is our first for months!'- she said. `What a pity; I would have liked to have gone.'

`And why should you not go?'

`I
cannot appear in company with a
great swollen belly.'

`You
r belly is scarcely larger than
usual; and I should know. I would deny even a lynx-eyed old woman to detect anything when you're dressed.'

'But it is altering daily now, Ross. This is, not until the 28th. By then I shall look like, Dr Choake.'

He
fought down a laugh. `In
any event – what
does it matter who knows? I am not ashamed of my wife's
preg
nancy'

"
I am not ashamed but I don't like to parade it in front of other folk
-
especially smart folk.' She picked up the invitation, `Where is this Trelissick?'

`About four miles from Truro, I should imagine.'

`It is a long way to ride.'

'Ah, in that case I understand. Then I shall refuse for us both.'

`Why both? You can go.'

`I don't go to social
occasions without my wife.'

`But it might be good
-
it must be good for you to be more among your own kind.'

`My own kind are here all around me.'

`You know what I mean.'

`Well, it is neither of us or both.'

She said
after a moment: `As for the riding, that is nothing. I used to ride bare ridged before Julia was born-that was when you were not about. But I do not fancy going into -
into that sort of company feeling fudgy, faced and pudding paunched.'

`Let us look at the map,' Ross said. `I think we could ride across the moors to Killewarren, take a cup of chocolate with Carol
ine, and then go on to the Fal
from there. I believe the house is near King Harry Ferry. Then in returning we could sleep in Truro and do some shopping and come home comfortable the next day.'

She went to the mirror and looked at herself sideways. `Well, we have not been from home since little Andrew Blamey's christening. It would be nice to have a jant.'

`Jaunt,' Ross gently corrected her.

`I better prefer to call it a jant,' Demelza said..

They left home before eight on the 28th. It was a perfect day for such an outing: warm without great heat, mixed sun and cloud, with shadows drifting gently over the countryside, moved by a, tolerant breeze. Even the barren land of the north coast looked full and heavy today, and as they rode south so the trees and the vegetation and the ripeness grew.

Demelza had been relieved to find she could still get into the blue riding habit made by Mistress Trelask seven years ago, and she wore the blue tric
orn hat with the white feather in
it ordered for her by Verity at the same time. She rode
Darkie, who now at about sixteen years old was
too reliable to jolt her rider
even if a badger ran across her path. Ross was quite
content to follow on Judith, who was proving a
fair investment although still too rest
ive to trust with a pregnant
lady.

They reached Killewarren about ten-thirty, but when they were shown into the parlour they were astonished to find not only Caroline but Ray Penvenen, crouched in a velvet smoking jacket sizes too big for him, with a rug around his shoulders before a coal fire. Mr Penvenen had not been good
-
looking in the prime of life: sandy-haired, undersized, his lashless eyes always red-rimmed, a sharp mobile nose, in drawn lips, his hands warty and seldom still. Now he resembled a mummified caricatur
e of himself. The skin of his
fa
ce was so sallow and brown that
he might have been a half-caste, all his flesh had fallen away, the eyes were sunken and dull. One felt he would look exactly the same when he was dead.

Yet he knew Ross and acknowledged Demelza and was not short of dry whispered conversation. So what should have been a pleasant meeting with Caroline over a cup of chocolate, became an occasion of forced and stilted talk in an over-hot and stuffy room.

They stayed just twenty minutes and then took their leave. But after they had come downstairs Caroline drew them into a small sitting-room by the front door. She said: `Last wee
k I took a whole day off
and went to see Susan Pellew at
Treverry. I told her the truth
about myself and Dr Enys and asked her what news her husband had given her of the battle. She was kind
enough
to