Warleggan (13 page)

Dwight took the track which came out at Bargus Cross
-
lanes and plunged as recklessly as Caroline could have wished through the rough scrub on the other side. Then he jumped from his horse, and slipped and slithered with it down the slope beyond. Jonas's Mill came in sight and
at the same moment Caroline
again. Dwight swung into the saddle. The only way of getting to the mill before her was to jump the stream that worked the mill. It was quite narrow, but his horse was not a hunter. As Caro
line saw him, he set his horse
at the str
eam. They rose together and the
horse landed half in and half out of the water at the other side, floundering and almost falling. Dwight slithered off its back into a foot or so of water and hauled the hors
e
up the sloping bank. By the time Caroline came up he was mounted again and waiting for her, while the miller and the miller's wife peered in astonishment out of windows and a small boy driving a yoke of oxen forgot to call to his team.

Caroline reined in her
h
orse , beside him, her eyes glinting.,

That was very clever of
you, Dr. Enys. It's obvious that
such
accomplishments
would be quite
misplaced in city life.'
'I
have others,' said Dwight, more out of breath than she
was. 'I have others,
that would not.'

'But you can't bear the thought of Bath, Dr. Enys.'

'And you can't bear the thought of marriage, Miss Penvenen.' `I see no connection.'

`I am used to dealing with connections which-can be worked up'

'To a man of such talents anything is possible.'

`Nothing is possible without you, Caroline.'

She sobered a little, meeting his glance. Her face was flushed
with the gallop. She no
longer looked displeased. John Jonas
came out of the mill rubbing his hands on his apron.

`All right, sur, are ee? Did the young lady's horse run away
with her, eh?'

`No,' said Dwight. `No one has run away with her yet.'

She was in the winter parlour when Ross called. Black suited her. He hadn't yet overcome the feeling that he had no business at Trenwith without Francis to welcome him. Ever since Francis's death there had been a new constraint between them, coming from her confession months before; a barrier to replace a b
arrier, because without it.

She'd stood the bereavement well, as, considering her fragile lock, she stood all strain well
-
for whether she loved Francis in the ordinary sense or not, he was her husband, the father of Geoffrey Charles, and long-standing ties of affection and habit had been broken.

`I have brought you the last returns of Wheal Grace,' he said. `I copied than from the cost book last night. They don't make invigorating reading, but I thought you should have them,'

'Why?,

`Why? Because you're a partner, of course, Virtually so, since
Geoffrey Charles is too young to look after his own interests.'

He put the papers on the table and opened them up.

`Can you not tell me all that matters? I need no proofs in
writing.''

`Yet you should have them. It
’
s the business way, and others may think it needful if you do not.' He waited a moment, but she did not come to the table.

`What others are there?'

`Pearce or your father, or
-
well, here the figures are for you to look at. What matters is that we. shall not be able, to go on later than January. I think possibly it would be better
to finish at the end of the year.'

Her skin looked cool, as if the clothes she wore did not belong to it, their blackness some part of a world she did not quite inhabit. `Ross, you know all of my finances, but I don't know yours. I know the end of this venture will hit you hard, but not how hard. From something that Francis said. .. '

`Yes?'

`I had the impression that Wheal Grace had become as much a gambler's throw for you as for him. Are you gravely in debt?'

`Grave is the word. One foot in and the other shortly following. But that's a risk I took. I can't complain because it has gone wrong. What I do much regret is losing your money also.'

`Well,' it was Francis's money. And he also knew the risk he was taking.'

`Then I regret it for Geoffrey Charles's sake.'

On this she was without' argument, without subterfuge even to herself. 'More than anything I feel my poverty because of him, Ross. I can't bear
the thought of his coming into
his inhe
ritance and finding it.... When
Francis came into this estate, there was money to live
-
and would have
been for our children. This last has been a wise investment compared to much of the rest. At least it was a gamble in a mine and not on the turn of a card!'

It was on Ross's tongue to ask if she realised how much she had contributed to this state of affairs, but his tongue was tied.

`If your father and mother live with you, it will, help you and
them; I suppose. They may get a good: price for Cusgarne from one of the rich merchants; the expenses of living can be pooled.'

`Yes

`Isn't that your intention?'

She breathed deeply, gave him a painful smile. 'It was, Ross. But just at the moment it's too soon. I want time to think about these
things. Francis's death
is too close to me,' She came at last to the table, looked down at the papers he had brought, flipping them over in her fingers but not reading them.

Ross said: `You've seen George again?'

`I had to. He's my chief creditor as you know. So much so that he's almost m
y only important-one. It was a
little difficult without you, but he quite understood that you could not meet.'

`What are his views on the debts?'

`Very generous. They always have been.'
She
raised her
eyes again. `I can't rob him of
that credit. He was always generous to Francis too.'

Ross nodded, his face showing neither approval nor dis
approval. `Had he any fresh proposals?'

`Yes. He offered to waive interest on the debts for a period
of years. Of cou
rse I could not accept that,' `
Why not?'

`Well. . . . There have been enough favours. I don't feel justified in accepting more,'

Ross studied the colour moving under the delicate flush of her skin. `It depends why, does it not? If you refuse his favours out of loyalty to me, it's a mistaken loyalty. My quarrel with George is not your quarrel. Nor even need Francis's be, now. George has always
-
admired you
-tried to win your approval. If he still wants to do so, I should let him. You may well retain your private opinion of him just the same.'

She did not speak,

`If on the other hand,' said Ross, `you feel that acceptance of his favours means you must offer him favours in return - such as
”

`Such as?'

He frowned at the papers. `You can imagine them better than I. At the least you might feel that becoming a friend of
his would
a
lienate people you like better. `That you must
decide for
yourself--I can't advise you.'

`I already have,'
said Elizabeth
quietly, folding the papers unread.

Ross accepted, them back,
and they talked for a
time desul
torily about
day-to-day things. But although what they said was unimportant, the saying of it was not. They had never before met
like this,
each week, confide
ntially,
as friends. Each week tied the invisible strings.

When he left, she walked slowly
back to the winter parlour and from the window watched his dwindling figure as he rode down the drive. If she had been
given to self-questioning, she
would have admitted that she had
not been entirely honest with h
im over the help she was receiving from George
-
but would have pleaded excuse on the grounds that it was a necessary outcome of her bereavement. She not only wanted to be thought well of
,
by both men, she needed to be. George had proposed that, being Geoffrey Charles's godfather, he should hold himself r
esponsible for the cost of the s
on's education up to the time
of his finishing at
Oxford, She could not refuse this, and
. Ross would not have expected
her to. But she did not want to tell him of it, nor of the several smaller favours. It compromised the position she wished to take up in his mind. Perhaps more than anything else at present she wanted Ross's approval for herself.

But from the moment of Francis's death all her emotions had needed
new names. A pattern set and
grown in years had dissolved overnight., She wished the circumstances would hav
e permitted her, to correct the mistakes' of past years. At
present she was only groping towards an understanding of them.

When horse a
nd rider, had disappeared round
a bend in the drive, she rang for Mrs. Tabb to fetch Geoffrey Charles from his great-great-aunt's bedroom, where he was playing. Aunt Agatha was in bed today with rheumatism, and h
er strength, Elizabeth thought;
was failing. When the little boy came, his mother kissed him fondly and began to give him his history lesson. These hours-she - spent with her son were the best of her day; she found mother love uncomplex and wholly satisfying; in such a relationship there was no mental reservations, no attitudes to be sustained, and no conflict.

She had not so far found her widowhood objectionable in
the conventional ways; she felt little loneliness as such, she had more time to devote to herself and more for Geoffrey Charles. But she grievously missed a' man to take the responsibility of day-to-day living. The making of, decisions was always something she had disliked, and in an estate of this character there was no avoiding them. Some in fact could only be dealt with satisfactorily by a
man. Tabb did what
he could, Tabb did ever
ything he could, but sometimes, he
traded on his new position and she had to watch that too.

While Geoffrey Charles was reading aloud to her, she walked across and studied herself in the mirror, twisting a strand of hair in among the rest, staring closely at her eyes and skin. There were a few little lines about her eyes which had not been there five years ago. But they were not enough to make any difference yet. When she smiled they disappeared. She must remember not to smile much in private,, for that would deepen the lines, but to smile much in public, for that would hide them,
What had George said: one of the most beautiful
women in England? His usual exaggeration. But beautiful enough. It was not conceit to know that.
Nor
did she think it disloyal to Francis to
be aware of a growing freedom.
She had been in a cage too long, confined within the
bars of this, house. It re
mained to be seen whether she had forgotten how to fly.

Demelza never asked what took place on Ross's weekly visit to Elizabeth, and he seldom volunteered the
information.
But on one thing Demelza was quite resolved. Whatever her inner promptings might be, she would never allow herself to entertain any suspicions of Ross's behaviour or allow him to suppose that she had any. Although she seldom voiced them, she had strong views on what a wife's attitude ought to be in such circumstances.

Today when he returned she had other news for him. `There's a message from Mr. Trencrom. Jud brought it.

He says they'll be over tonight. He wouldn't say what he
meant.'

`It's a matter I've intended telling you of. Mr. Trencrom wants me to have a cache dug on my land for storing his goods during a run, so that they can be taken away at leisure. Of course he's willing to pay for it'

'But will that not greatly increase the risk to us?'

'It matters very little. In a month we shall crash anyhow.' She did not speak but went on brushing out the stable, where
he had found her.
He could
guess by her face something of what

she felt.

`That doesn't make sense to me,' she said eventually.

`Well, if I
go
to
prison for debt, this will mean more
money
coming in. And the quicker the debt is paid, the quicker I shall
be
out again.'

"That is supposing the goods are not found on our land. You
will stay longer in prison 'if you are convicted for that.'

`I do not think I
shall be' 'Where is thi
s
-
this thing to be?'

'In the old library. It can all be done in one night, and
nothing to show tomorrow.'

She was silent again. She would: say no more in criticism, he
knew, either to him or to herself; but that did not make her forbearance any easier to accept.

He said casually: 'And, how was Jud?'

`Grumbling as usual. John tells
me
he has
joined the
Methodies.'

"I should not be astonished: he has always had a fancy for
hell fire. Demelza
, I wish you would not, do this
work;
it's not right you should take it on yourself.'

`Gimlett was busy and you were out. But I like it, Ross. It
stops me from thinking. About this hole, this cache, how
many will know of it?'

'`Four to dig it. Six or eight perhaps who use it' 'Jud Paynter?'

Possibly.' well, I-'

'Oh, I know he's ' leaky in his liquor. But he drinks less
since his recovery-and I think we underrate him. Look at
his
behaviour at my trial. Trencrom
trusts him, and Trencrom
can't afford to make mistakes.'

Neither can we.'

`As you say.' He stared at her for a moment, disliking
himself for comparisons which sometimes now rose uninvited in his brain. `Demelza, I am not making much of our
situation yet; for there's still a few weeks to go, and I may still
find the money. If I do not, I have made arrangements with
Mr. Trencrom so that a sum shall be paid to you monthly for the favours he receives. My remaining shares in Wheal Leisure will go to meet part of the debt, so there will be nothing from that, But Mr. Trencrom's dole will keep you comfortably enough, and anything you can save from it can be put aside to wipe off the rest of the debt. In no time
`You do not need
to fear for
me. I was used once to living on nothing, and can do it again. And Jeremy I shall see for. Don't worry about us. What matters is paying off the money you owe.'

He took the broom from her, and after a brief resistance she gave it up. He carried on with the work.

`I had some exp
ectation of Mr. Trencrom. I'm a
deal more use to him out of prison than in; and if there is a forced: sale of this house and land, the new purchasers may not be friendly to his schemes:'

'I thought your Mr. Pascoe had promised that the property should not be sold.?

'So he has. Indeed, the property already belongs
to him
under the mortgage deed; but Trencrom does not know of the, promise.'

Demelza pushed back her hair with her wrist. `You'll soil your best clothes. 'Tisn't sensible to do that now.'

`Well I'd as lief wear 'em out as save, them for the moths.'

She said, vehemently: `Why do; you not appeal to your friends, Ross
-
or let me appeal
for you? Sir John Trevaunance
would be sympathetic, I know. And Sir Hugh Bodrugan, though you
may
not like him, has
good will towards me; And Mr.
Ray Penvenen,- and old Mr. Treneglos. They might well join with Mr. Trencrom in putting up so
much each so a
s to save you from the bankruptcy. It is not charity, for they know you are honourable and would pay them back. Why not let me try? Do let me try!'

H
e stopped and leaned
on
the broom handle, his eyes lidded in thought. After a few seconds he smiled and shook his head: 'No good, my
dear. The sum
is too great and so is my pride. And since you've so
good
an opinion of these friendships, keep it, for they would not stand the strain you suppose. One or two
would help, I know, but others would not; and we can save ourselves the disappointment. Anyway, I've never asked favours and will not begin now. We'll get through it as we may, and presently s
tart afresh. When that time com
es, I
shall keep to farming and leave all mining alone.. Even brushing out stabl
es will be a kindly thing to come back to
!'

The four to dig
it became
six, with Jud leaning on his stick to superintend. An overblown mo
on climbed above the sand hills
at nine-thirty, so there was need only of one sma
ll lantern within the library.
At ten the cores changed at the, mine, and by half, past the last of the miners had dispersed. From then on, three of the six men were busy wheeling the excavated ground across, the valley to the nearest dump. No one would notice that it had grown a little in the night. The six men were Ned Bottrell, Paul Daniel, Ted Carkeek, Will Nanfan, Whitehead Scoble, and Pally Rogers. About eleven there was an alarm, but it was only Charlie Kempthorne with a message for Ned Bottrell that, he was a father for the fifth time. This was good excuse for a tot of brandy and some rough-and-ready jokes.

At one Demelza went to bed; but Ross stayed until an hour before dawn
, when the work was finished.
The seven tired men -
Jud, who had done no work, com
plaining he was the most tired of them, all
tramped back up the valley in the light of a moon which, bad grown smaller and paler as the dark hours