The Four Swans (28 page)

The two piglets were so small and so engaging that they immediately made friends with the elderly Garrick and became pets for the children, who occasionally would allow them to escape into the house. Ross solemnly warned them that if they continued to do this there would come a day when the piglets would suddenly swell up and grow so big they would never be able to squeeze out of the doors again. Demelza named them Ebb and Flow.

‘In the dark days of late summer moths became such a problem in the house, there never being a candle lighted and a window ajar without the room being filled with fluttering wraiths of all shapes and sizes, that a general, war was declared on them. To amuse the children Demelza kept them up late one night to go on a moth sugaring expedition. This was done by mixing sugar and beer in a bowl and stealing out into the dusk and brushing the sugared beer on to tree stumps and fence posts. By the time this was done you could go round with a bucket of water and pick the moths off the sugary surface - where they clung with quivering pleasure feeding on the liquor - and drop them in the water. But Demelza tired of this quicker than the children. The moths were too beautiful to destroy, and about half of them she set free. Then Garrick, having followed them out, spoiled it all by finding the sugared beer to his taste, and began to lick the stumps clean, moths and all, before they could stop him.

Yet in spite of the weather, or, perhaps because enough sun got through the clouds at intermittent intervals, and the gales were too early to do the damage, and the rain was slight in September, it was a good harvest. All Cornwall, most of England, had its best corn yield for four years - and never more welcome. And in spite of the Jack of prosperity in the land and the depression which had come so suddenly after the expanding and favourable conditions of the first war years, Wheal Grace yielded up her ore and Ross invested more money in Blewett’s shipbuilding business in Looe, and talked over seriously with Captain Henshawe the building of a new and more powerful engine for the mine.

Ross engaged the recovered Zacky Martin as underground captain. It was really more than Henshawe could do to keep an eye on everything; and miners, like other people, needed supervision. Some of them were picking out the richest ground and leaving the lower grade stuff behind. Economics in a copper mine made this an acceptable practice; not in a tin mine, except to the tributers concerned who added to their own earnings this way. Some too, the foxiest ones, brought up indifferent stuff for a month before the next setting day so that they could argue their pitch was yielding less and bargain for a higher share in the profit on the ground they stoped. Once the contract was struck the ground miraculously improved. Zacky also discovered a little syndicate whereby some of the rich ore found its way into the barrows of those contracted to work poorer ground. The extra profit would be shared out later.

It was all part of life, and no one thought too hard of these practices; it was up to the boss to stop them. Considering most of the bargains he struck were pretty generous, Ross thought himself entitled to stop them.

II

When it came to that next weekly visit to Morwenna Whitworth, Dwight had found her still improving, and he had braced himself for the unpleasant interview he had to face with her husband. After he had been upstairs he asked for the vicar and was shown into his study. Without too much preamble, since offence would be taken anyhow, he had stated his medical opinion. But he had misjudged his man. The anger and stilted dignity of last time were absent. Osborne had asked after his wife, brusquely it was true, but seemed no longer put out by this further demand on his continence. He said he supposed women were like that sometimes. Important thing was to get her right. Very inconvenient for everybody this continuing illness; sooner she was wholly recovered the better. A vicar’s wife had many duties, and it just wouldn’t do, this weakness, sickliness. Why, many women were pregnant again by this time, after a first baby, and taking it all in their stride.

Dwight came away, not really liking the man but realizing that under that rather stupid, brusque exterior, which no doubt in the marital relationship repelled his wife, was a kinder person than. he had first supposed.

When he got home he had a bowl of, soup and a glass of canary and went to his study, where Caroline found him at five on her return.

`What is it?’ she demanded, coming into his study like the wind.

`They tell me you’ve had no dinner. Are you ill?’

`No. I was not hungry.’

`Then why are you not out succouring your patients as you’re accustomed to be at this time of day? What is wrong? Dwight, you are ill.’

He closed his book and smiled at her. `I was tired. I thought I’d change my habit today.’

She sat on the edge of her chair, burnished hair on shoulders, eyes looking into his.

`Take your thumb out of the book,’ she said, `otherwise I’ll know you’re not attending.’

He laughed and obeyed.

She said: `Who is the nearest doctor?’

`You see him before you.’

`Don’t prevaricate. I shall call in Dr Choake.’

`Heaven forbid ! You could as well send for Mr Irby.’

`Him too if you like. Though there are enough drugs and potions in this house to set up a shop of our own, if I knew which to give yon.’

`I don’t need drugs, Caroline. A good night’s rest will work wonders.’

`Wonders- … I tell you what a’ good night’s rest will do. It will return you a small and limited portion of energy which you will dissipate in half a day seeing to .your wretched sick people, and then you will be ill again and exhausted and. like to take to your bed. Isn’t that so? Tell me if it isn’t so.’

Dwight considered. `Work is good for a man, Caroline. It stimulates his mind, and in the end his mind will re-stimulate his body,’

‘And tell me what else is good for a man. Love for his wife?’

He flushed. `If sometimes I fail in that it is a, failure of body, not of loving intent. You have reassured me

`If failure of the body is, the outcome of the prison sickness you still suffer, then loving intent is all I ask. But if all the time, every atom of your regathering strength, you dissipate upon your work - as fast as it is gathered it is given out then one begins to question the loving intent.’

Horace came waddling through a slit in the door on his fat legs and whined at them, but for once he was ignored. He rolled over on ‘his back and they still took no notice.

`You question that, Caroline?’ Dwight asked.

`Tell me,’ she said, `what have you done today?’

`Today? This morning I saw a dozen poor wretches who waited outside the servants’ door for advice or attention; then I went to see Mr Trencrom, whose asthma is bad. Then, as it was my day for riding farther afield, I made a half dozen calls on the way and so reached Truro, where I visited Mrs Whitworth and Mr Polwhele. So I rode home. When I reached home I felt disturbed in my breathing and my stomach, so ate lightly. I am recovered now.’

She got up, as taut as whipcord, went to the window, picked up a book and fingered it without looking at it. `And do you know what I have done today? I have spent an hour perfecting my toilet, then an hour with Myners seeing to matters of the estate, then I picked some flowers for my empty parlour, then I changed my attire and rode two hours with Ruth Treneglos. I dined with her and her sweaty husband and her crew of noisy infants and so came home. Do you observe any point at which our paths crossed?’

`No,’ said Dwight after a moment.

Horace jumped on his knee.

Dwight said: `But we have never pretended that our daily life must go side by side.’

`No, my dear, never side by side. But not the poles apart.’

`And do you think it is now the poles apart?’

She turned, still light in voice; but that did not, deceive him. `When I took a fancy to you, my dear, my uncle disapproved because he said you had no name - which was untrue - and no money, which was. Unwin Trevaunance was to be my mate, and all my upbringing had accustomed me to a life which would have matched with his. But I fancied you - and you fancied me; and nothing else would do for the either of us. But even then we quarrelled, or had a disagreement, as to how we were to live after we were wed. Lacking Uncle Ray’s money, I still had enough of my own to set you up in Bath, and so this was agreed. And … we were to elope and we did not elope because you preferred - or seemed to my distorted imagination then to prefer your patients here to marriage and a fashionable practice with me. And we separated - and would have remained separated for good if that interfering fellow Ross Poldark had not forced us to meet again and almost banged our heads together. And … so we made it up. But by then you were in the navy, with the results that are still with us…’

`Why are you saying all this, Caroline?’

`Because I went through agonies waiting for you - and your return brought me new life. And I don’t want it to be said - or rumoured - or even entertained as a passing thought - that all our interests are so different that, in spite of our love, Ross Poldark was wrong.’

He got up, spilling Horace grunting upon the mat.

`My dear, you can’t mean that.’

`Of course I mean it, for others will think it if we do not.’

`What matters it what others have to say?’

`It only matters if it is reflected in ourselves.’

He was still unsteady standing and sat on the edge of the table. His narrow, thoughtful face was lined, this evening. He looked what he was, a sick man with a strong will.

He said: ‘Tell me how I must alter.’

After a moment she shook her hair back and knelt on the rug beside Horace.

In a different voice; but so subtly different that only. he could detect the softening, she said: `I know I am a scatterbrained creature

`That is a lie.’

‘frivolous and..’

`Only on the surface.’

`-with no ideas beyond the ideas of a -‘ `You have plenty of ideas:’

‘Dwight,’ she said. `I was making an effort to be contrite to you; but I cannot even do that if you interrupt me all the time.’

`It is I who should be contrite for having grossly; neglected you.’

She sat down with her back against a chair, her legs tucked under her. `Then I’ll not catalogue my faults. Let’s just agree that I love the country life and riding and hunting, and I like occasional soirees and parties, which you do not. Nor, though I would like to, can I get myself a true interest in medicine. Unless they are worthy people, of whom: there are all too few, I don’t see the virtue in curing them. The world is over-populated. People swarm everywhere. It’s very sad, but generally speaking, I would say, let ‘em die.’

`I don’t believe that. It’s your uncle’s old belief and not yours at all’

`Yes, it is!’ In this instance it is very much my belief, for it concerns my husband. He is neglecting two things. He is neglecting his wife - which I very much resent. But still more important, he is neglecting himself. It is only one sin on your part, Dwight, but it has two evil consequences and the second is even worse than the first.’

`You’re wrong, Caroline. I’m sure you are. If I neglect you; then I’m much to blame and it shall - it shall be changed. But the other is not a consequence at all. 1 am not very well; but neither am I very ill. It is a state which I believe a year or two will clear up, but I don’t suppose it depends on the number of patients I see or the efforts I make to cure them.’

`Well, then,’ she said, `if you will not take heed to the second consequence, take heed to the first.’

`I’ll try to spend more time after dinner with you, limit my work to the morning’

`Oh, you will try … You will try to do this and that, but will you succeed? It is - it is like a drug with you, Dwight, like drink with another man. He swears he will give it up, but in, a day or two he slides back into his old ways…’

He went to kneel beside her on the mat, and she noticed his unsteadiness. He kissed, her and squatted beside her. Horace grunted and yapped with a return of his old jealousy. `Tomorrow I’ll turn, over a new leaf. You see. The drunkard will reform.’

She said: - `D’you know it’s not very long ago that I was in daily attendance at the bed of a man dying of the sugar sickness. My uncle took a long time dying. Almost all the time you were away it took him to die. And I became disgusted at the sight and smell of illness of pills and potions and night commodes and food untasted and a body shrivelling away, and - and comas and half recoveries, only to see him sink again. I’m young, Dwight. Young and frivolous, though you may pretend not to think so. I love you. I want to be young with you and to enjoy my youth! You came back - almost it seemed from the dead. I don’t want you to go back to the dead. I don’t want to attend, on your bed of sickness. I’m selfish, you see. Wait, wait, let me finish.’ She paused to brush the tears impatiently from her eyes. `I know I have married a surgeon, a doctor. That I knew and that I’m prepared for. That you, should continue to practise was part of the bargain. It was never so stated in those words but I understood it as part of the bargain. I do not expect you or wish you to turn into a country bumpkin squire to please me, nor did you expect me to become a downtrodden mouse mixing the potions or writing out the bills for her husband. But you did marry me, and I am your, wife for better or worse, and you must take account of that fact! As well as being a doctor’s’ wife I am a young woman with an estate, and as well as being a doctor you are now a landowner and a man of property. There has to be compromise on both sides, or there will be a risk - there will be a risk of our waking up one day and finding there is nothing left between us at all.’

The little pug now climbed pertinaciously on to the twisted lap she presented to him and tried to lick her hair.

Dwight said : `Horace is doing exactly what I ought to be doing.’

`Ought to be or wish to be?’

`Wish to be.’

`But must not, or I shall not want your salute to stay so chaste.’

`Do you suppose I’d want it so myself?’