The Black Moon (34 page)

The district surrounding, one of the biggest mining areas in the county, contained within a square mile or so, Wheal Unity, Treskerby, Wheat Damsel and Tresavean - all now
derelict
-and the unemployment and the
poverty were
therefore intense. But in this
district instead
of turning to riot they turned
to God. Favoured by fine weather and light nights, the revival continued for a week, during which more than five thousand of the ignorant confessed their sins and united themselves into a religious society which rose above the cares and privations of this world and found solac
e in Christ and the promise of
eternal life. Sam, hearing of it on the second day, went to Captain
Henshawe, asked permission to absent himself and walked the twelve miles to, Gwennap to participate in the religious experience. He tried his hardest to persuade Drake to accompany him, but Drake was in such a state of emotional and physical turmoil that for the moment the spiritual life did not appeal. Sam went on his way rejoicing in the glory of God and in His goodness in opening men's hearts, but sorrowing that his beloved brother should be in such a gall of bitterness that he could not be with him at this precious time.

At Trenwith George no longer insisted that Morwenna should be sent home immediately, but it was understood that she should return to Bodmin early in September when Geoffrey Charles went to school. George had been making inquiries for twelve months about schools, and now, with his usual ability to turn a set-back to good account, he was able to use the recent trouble as a lever to persuade Elizabeth into agreement. Geoffrey Charles was clearly out of hand' at home. Look at the hysterical way he had behaved when they told him he must no longer see this young miner, Drake Came. It seemed likely now that even a male tutor would be unable to control him. A
boarding
school was the right and only solution.

`Harrow is the school for Geoffrey Charles,' George said.' `I know the journey will be expensive and tedious, but the policy of the governors, declared most recently, is precisely what I think we both want. They say
-
you see in this printed letter
-
that whatever the intentions of
the founders may have been, "th
e school is not now generally adapted for persons of low condition but better suited to those of a higher class". This is what we want for Geoffrey Charles, that he should mix with people of his own station and higher. All
the other schools I have been
considering lately, Eton, Westminster, Winchester, still have a policy of admitting the sons of tradesmen.'

Elizabeth said:, `The journeys there and back will take
nearly two weeks from his
holidays. And it will be a big cost for his small means.'

'You know that I long ago undertook the expense
of his education. I am told that boarding, books and teaching fees will amount to about thirty pounds a year and clothes another twenty-five. Travel will add to the cost; but he is the heir to this house and estate, and as such should have the best. As your son he should have the best.'

Elizabeth smiled as George patted her hand. She knew his remark to be complimentary with a purpose; she knew his desire to weaken the bond between mother and son.

Elizabeth had not yet the detachment -
perhaps never would have
-
to recognize how much Geoffrey Charles had developed since he had attained greater freedom from her. At times she had had her own tinges of jealousy at seeing him so happy in the company of Morwenna; but she would gladly have accepted that as a permanence rather than lose him altogether, as she felt she was going to, to a rough male world which in the process of knocking him into shape would no doubt knock him about so much that he would come home a different boy.

But those happy times were behind.

As George seemed in a warmer mood than of late she broached a subject which she had wanted to mention for some days but which she knew would irritate him afresh. `Aunt Agatha has made out a list of invitations.' She offered him, a sheet of paper on which it looked as if an inky fly had struggled in its death throes. 'Some of this she has writ herself, some Geoffrey Charles has put down at her request. I confess I do not know the half of the people she has named.'

`Nor would wish to.' George took the paper between finger and thumb as if it had come from the bed of a fever patient. `I really do not see that we are compelled to do this at all. The nearer it comes the, more nauseating it appears.'

`Not compelled
-
not physically. But morally are we not?'

`I do not see it. God's life, I do not see it. What are all those names crossed out?'

`They are all dead. I consulted Mr Odgers and old Agnes in Sawle, who used to work for the Poldarks many years ago. They are people Aunt Agatha no doubt still believes to be alive.'

George handed the paper back. `Should we not better
have the
birthday
party
in the churchyard? Then all the graves would jump open when we cut
the cake.'

Elizabeth shivered. 'Some of these names, of course, we know well and are p
eople we should welcome here in
any case. The Trenegloses, the Bodrugans, the Trevaunances: Some of these others are no doubt too old to come or too far away. I do not think it will be a big party altogether. Perhaps twenty or thirty.'

`There must be a hundred names there!'

`Oh, yes, but most will not come.'

`I am not
-
Elizabeth, if I have to put up with the invasion of my house
-
our house
-
by a swarm of unsavoury people to satisfy the last feeble egoism of an old woman - I am not -we are not offering them hospitality overnight! I will not have our house filled with
doddering skeletons, some of
whom no doubt will be incontinent and others feebleminded; they shall not be put up in our house, not even to maintain a pretence of approving of this ghastly celebration. No, Elizabeth, make that clear from the beginning; tell that old woman if you can get
anything into her head, that
we will not do that and she cannot compel us!'

`I think,' said Elizabeth pacifically, `I believe Agatha is making plans for the reception to end about six. So most will have ample time to return
- that is, those who have the health and the means to get here.'

George considered this for a few moments, turning the money in his fob. `So the old woman has ideas as to the sort of reception we are supposed to give her?'

`She is paying for it all, my dear. Remember that. It is the house in which she was born. Forgive me if I remind you of this
- of course you know, but . . . you see, she feels she is entitled to it. Just as, say, if your father were forty years older and s
till living at Cardew. So she makes plans,
and expects us to arrange it in the way she wants
-
assuming that what she wants is reasonable.'

`And is it?'

'I think so. I have been up in her room quite a little-'

`Play God preserve you.'

`And so we have discussed it together. She wants
-
she would like to invite her guests to breakfast at two o'clock. She will hope to be down to receive them, and this will be served in the big parlour and the winter dining room. Nothing elaborate
-
not chocolate or brandy wine to drink, with biscuit-cakes and ging
er bread and the like. Then we
thought
if the day was fine the
company could walk,
round the garden for an hour or more. Some would no doubt stay and chat to Agatha -
others could admire what we had done to improve the house and grounds.

She paused, letting this sink in. If she could. get George's active support, or at least soften his opposition, it would make, the day easier for her.

`We thought then a cold collation in the dining hall. Agatha wanted a f
ull dinner but I have persuaded
her out of it. She will sit at the head of the table, but the others will eat and, sit as they desire. Hot soups, of course, but otherwise the more easily prepared things: roasted tongue, cold mutton; chicken pie, pigeons. Asparagus if we can get some, with pickled eggs. Syllabubs and fruit tarts. Then the cake. After the meal we will cut the cake and drink her health. I feel it will all pass
very pleasantly.'

George licked his lips. `And then?'

'And then I daresay Aunt Agatha will feel she has had her day. No doubt she will be worn out with all the excitement. She will stay down until six, she says, but we shall
see. At any rate we will serve
tea at about six, and I shall h
ope all have gone home by seven
!
’

'Amen,' said George. `But why do we have to make these preparations in June when this lamentable anniversary does
not occur until August?'

`I
thought I should, just mention it to you, my dear, to
keep you appraised. You know you do not like arrangements
to be made without your knowledge and consent. Aunt Agatha
wants the invitations sent out as soon as possible. She is
living for this day, and naturally all her thoughts are on
it.
’

There were crosses to be borne in having married into the
Poldark ho
usehold, and this, the heaviest
of them, could not,
George felt, in the nature of things have to be borne much
longer. So he muttered something in sulky acquiescence and
turned away.

Sam had spent a glorious week at Gwennap, and only when the fervour had begun to die down did he return home. It was a fine day for his walk, and such was his happiness, such was his joy at what the Lord had accomplished in so short a time, that several times on the way he shouted aloud. People far distant, working fields away, lifted their beads and stared after him; gnarled old men, girls in straw bonnets, urchins grubbing among the stubble for gleanings. They thought him mad.

But there was no madness in him, only a sweet joy at being united with Christ. He had seen such wonders at Gwennap as could only have occurred if the spirit of the Lord moved powerfully over the land. And they were not finished yet. Of that he was convinced. It had died down at Gwennap, perhaps temporarily, perhaps, having done its work, for a long time. But once ignited the power and the grace of the Holy Spirit was like a bush fire. It smouldered and seemed to go out, then suddenly it would spring up in another place. The gre
at spiritual revival had begin,
this time in Redruth and moved after a few days to Gwennap; from there it might suddenly shift to St Austell or Penzance. It might even smoulder and blaze up in the little coastal villages of Grambler and Sawle. Who knew? Who knew what a single vile unworthy creature such as himself, if imbued with faith and in bond with the heavenly Bridegroom, could do?

As he neared home he perceived that his faith all the while had been too little, that he must not only exhort more urgently himself but that he must persuade his little flock to do the same. If only Drake was free of the powerful suggestions of the Devil and could lay hold once again of the full beau
ty of the blessing, no one knew -
or only One knew -
what they might accomplish together. He resolved that he must first look into his own heart and discover what carnal weakness lay there which might have prevented him from exerting a sufficient influence on Drake
such as would bring him back to
a full sensibility of the spiritual life. In some way the error might still be in him. Only prayer - only long hours on his knees before his Maker
-
would open the
doors - of self knowledge If he could
but persuade Drake to share them. Then, who knew how many more they could persuade to share them? Faith could work miracles. Faith did work miracles. He had seen it demonstrated before his own wondering eyes all this week.

But sometimes the carnal world grips too cruelly even for a man like Sam to ignore. Whatever sanctification he carried in his heart, the press of material and spiritual evil was to come upon him that day and ma
ke his mind a captive to it and
drive out, at least for a time, his thoughts of bringing new life to the villages of Grambler and. Sawle. It was well after seven before he reached home. One boot was biting into his, toes, and he was thirsty and hungry and tired and he looked forward to breaking bread with Drake and telling him the good news, of the salvati
on of so many souls. But Drake
was not in. It had been a beautiful day; but a sort of white
-
coloured rain was now falling over the sea and the sandhills and would probably spread inland in a few minutes. The sun was half blotted out by the squall, but a golden light was falling over the moors and fields behind.

Sam had taken a long drink of water and had cut himself a piece of bread and a square of cheese when there was a tap at the door and he saw Bob Baragwanath standing there. Bob was Charlie's father, and Sam had prayed with them when Charlie died. Bob was not really bright enough to understand quite all that Sam had done and said, but he had appreciated the gesture.

'Yer bro'er,' he said.

`Yes? Drake? What is it? Did he leave a message?'

`No. No message. Bin took. Bin took in. Hour gone. Took in a hour gone.'

Sam put down his bread. `What's amiss, Bob? Drake took? Took where?'

'Constable -
Constable Vage. Took 'im in a hour gone. Took 'im in the jail. Gone St Ann's to gaol house.'

`Drake? To gaol? What for? Constable Vage? I
-
Did you

see it?'

'Ay. Seen it wi' me own eyes. Took in for stealin'! That's what Constable d'say. Stealin'! Took 'im in a hour gone.'

They were finishing supper when Sam arrived. During these radiant light days
they dined less heavily than in
the winter and so supper became a more important meal. It had been a silent meal, as a-number had been of late and as the time
for
Ross's leaving, for France
drew near. Demelza was not the one to bear a grudges against him for going, but its im
minence cast a cloud over her good spirits. She did
not chatter as usual about the garden or give him the benefit of her speculations as to Garrick's thoughts whe
n she took the baby rabbit away
from him, or describe to him the actions of a bull-finch as it ate the white pulp out of an empty dandelion seed-pod. She was untalkative, and as by nature Ross did not have much small-talk it had been a silent meal.

On this came her brother to inform them that her other brother had been arrested for stealing.

She got up and stared at him. 'Stealing? Drake? That is impossible, Sam.'

`Yes, sister, tis impossible that he should do, it, but not impossible that he should be accused.'

`What do they say he has stolen?'

`Well, tis hard to get the truth, but I seen Art Curnow, who were a witness to his going, and the constable d'say to him that he be accused of stealing a bible - a bible wi' a silver clasp - out of Trenwith House.' ,
`Trenwith House? But when? He has not been near Trenwith House for weeks and weeks, not since George
-
not since Mr Warleggan came home.'

`I don't know the truth of 'n, sister, I only d'know what I'm told and that Drake be committed to the gaol house at St Ann's an' locked away like he were a felon.'

Ross also had risen, but he turned away from them to hide the annoyance on his face.

‘
Who preferred the charge, do you know?'

`Mr Warleggan, I bla'.'

That was it. Mr Warleggan. And since this boy was Demelza's brother he would press it with all the greater relish. And how could be; Ross, avoid being drawn in, and particularly avoid Demelza being embroiled in all this while he was away? Infuriating. More than ever he regretted not having taken a strong line with the boys when they arrived and sent them back to Illuggan where they belonged. At the time he had warned Demelza that at some future date her brothers might embarrass her by marrying locally and perhaps hinder her social ambitions. Never in his worst dreams had he thought of one of them having a love affair with Elizabeth's cousin! And
now to be arrested. for theft
and theft of a bible of all things!

Yet at this stage he must show none of his annoyance to
D
emelza. She had enough, to put
up with with his own delinquencies and .peculiarities, his own loyalties and outside friendships and the spirit of restless
unease which was sending him on
this voyage to France. He could not expect her indulgence of this and not extend a similar indulgence to her.

He said: `Mr and Mrs Warleggan had been away for a couple of days. Do you think Drake visited Trenwith then?'

'I don't know, Cap'n Poldark. I been away m
yself on the Lord's business. I
come back but this eve.'

`Do you
know if Drake has been seeing Miss Chynoweth during these last weeks?'

'He met she two or three t
imes in Sawle church, Sunday af’
noons. But then twas all. discovered and there were a big upset at Trenwith, beginning of this month. So he's seen naught of 'em since. 1 b'lieve twas said Miss Chynoweth were going to be sent away.'

`Apparently,' Demelza said, `George has plans to marry Miss Chynoweth to someone in Truro called Wh
itworth. The Reverend Whitworth
.'

`What, Osborne Whitworth, Judge Whitworth's son?'

`I believe. It was to be a good match for her. So there was special trouble, when her friendship with Drake was discovered.'

`A posturing fop. You remember him, of course. He made a fuss of you more than once, but was usually outgunned by Hugh Bodrugan and John Treneglos.'

`I remember
him,' Demelzaa said.

`But who told you this?'

`Drake. Last week. When he came for his writing lesson.'

Ross stared down at his unfinished plate of raspberry tart. 'It does not seem likely that this charge is true, surely?'

'Oh, never!' said Demelza. `Drake is not a thief.'

`Never!' said Sam.

`Yes, well ... that's all very well but the charge has been preferred. There must be some grounds, however slight. The tedious part of the matter is that if the Warleggans have got their teeth into this it may be hard to persuade them to let go. Anyone else would be open to reason. Not they. You may regret it yet, Sam, that you are in any way connected with the Poldarks.'

Sam said: `Maybe if I went to see them myself.'

`Far from it. You would be received ill and fare worse. No,
the fist thing is to see Drake and discover his version of the affair. Until we know that we can do nothing.'

There was silence. Sam said: 'I shan't make no rest tonight. But twill be no use going till the morning. I'll go over see him there.'

`No,' Ross said. `You keep away. We do not want you committed on some other charge. I will see to it myself it the morning. '

`Thank you,' said Demelza.

`Until then it is useless to speculate. The accusation may yet be dropped. We have no means of knowing anything more, so it is best to discuss it no more. I'll ride over first thing.'

`God bless you,' said Sam. `I shan't make no rest tonight.'

The `gaol' at St Ann's was in fact not a gaol at all but a lock-up house where malefactors were from time to time confined before being brought up for sentence at the local petty sessions. It was part of the house and shop of Mr Renfrew, the mine chandler, and consisted of an upper room and a lower which were both supposed to be kept free for the full operation of the law; but which Mr Renfrew himself used as part of his storage space. As a result the top room was full of coiled ropes, lanterns, blocks and tackle, hem
pen
candles, picks, fuses and all the other paraphernalia of mining. Below was kept for its proper purpose, though the space was encroached upon by whatever Mr Renfrew deemed would not be damaged by the occasional prisoner or assist in his escape.

On the way there Ross thought over his problem. Pursued by last-minute advice from Demelza, who, although deeply concerned for her brother, was still more deeply concerned that her husband should not repeat any of his gaol-breaking escapades of six years ago, Ross was more occupied over his line of tactics should Drake's explanation prove a reasonable or excusable one. Seven or more years ago, when Jim Carter was had up for poaching, he had gone into Truro, appeared at the Quarter Sessions and made a public appeal for clemmency. It had been rudely turned down. From that he had learned his lesson. You did not ask for a reasonable mercy in public, you approached the magistrates privately and asked, as a friendly gesture made to you personally, that they should give the offender another chance. How to work here? He could not ask favours of George Warleggan. Had he been a magistrate himself it would have hel
ped matters along greatly. But
he had turned that down. Who ever, could have foreseen a case like this?

Mr Renfrew was in and greeted him effusively, puckering his short-sighted eyes in a smile. (Mr Poldark was a customer as well as Mr Warleggan.) The prisoner? Yes, Mr Poldark could see him. Of course. Naturally. The lock-up was not perhaps as clean as he, Mr Renfrew, would have wished, but they had been busy this last week. There were; in fact, two others in at the moment, waiting the next meeting of the magistrates. They had all come in yesterday and, what with one thing and another, one hadn't been able to do all one would have wished. Charged? Oh, one had assaulted Mr Irby in his shop. The other had been drunk and. had smashed some windows at the Miner's Arms. They would be charged probably tomorrow. Would Mr Poldark come this way? Mr Poldark went this way.

It was quite a small room with a post in the middle from floor to 'ceiling, for chaining up fractious prisoners. One corner of the room was full of sacks and a pile of driftwood, otherwise there was nothing but the three men. But the smell was hideous for there was no privy, and the sacking had not been moved for weeks. One man still lay asleep in his own vomit, the other two looked up as the door opened.

Ross put his kerchief to his nose. `Can you give me five minutes with him outside in your yard? I-promise he shall not escape.'

`Well, sir ... I
suppose, if so be as you promise .

`You may watch us from a distance if you like.'

Drake was let out. Blinking in the daylight, he looked uncannily pale from his night indoors. With a twinge of angry irritation Ross saw his likeness again to Demelza,

`Well, boy. You're in trouble. How did this happen?'

'Oh, Cap'n Poldark, tis good of you to come. I didn't know as you'd know. What
wi' Sam being from home and -'

'Sam returned last night, He heard and told us. What is it all about?'

`Well, I don't rightly know where to begin. You d'know, I s'pose, that I took up wi' this young lady in Trenwith House. Sister d'know all about it-'

`She told me, yes.'

`Well, twas all forbid when the Warleggans found
out I'd been meeting of her in
church. So we
-
so we seen nothing
of one another since, 'then.. But Geoffrey-Mr _Geoffrey' Charles-he, rebelled against it and, he been. over to see me more'n once. Ye see-ye see, tesn't only Miss Morwenna tis he also as, I
- as we have this friendship,
see
..’

'Yes, `Yes, I understand that.'

Drake rubbed the stubble on his chin. `This week Mr and Mrs Warleggan was visitin', and so Mr Geoffrey Charles, he, sends me a note saying they'll be from home and
-
can I come see him at the house just the onc
e more, as soon he'll be going
way school.'

`The young fool,' Ross said. `He was asking you to run yourself into trouble.'

`Well, mebbe. But I reckoned I could manage, it
-
and I did. I went through the fields
-
then in at the side door
-
they was waiting.' Drake's face twitched. `Morwenna says she is being sent away too, so it's like good-bye for we. We just sit and talk for half an hour and then I says I must be going. So then Morwenna -
she give me a scarf -
so as. I shall mind h
er - as if ever I could forget
and Geoffre
y, he d'say to me, I must give
ee something too, Drake. So I'll give ee my christening bible, he says, and that is what he
done. I says, no, I can't take
'n, tis your own, wi' your name letters on the front and -and a clasp, I can't take 'n. But he says, please, please, Drake
-
you d'know the way he has
-
so in the end I take 'n. Then I d'leave the house and come home. I don't know whether someone seen me - but just, then I don't sort of care. I just come home walking blind, and lays the two presents under the straw of my bed and then I lays on it and ... well, didn't behave manly ...'

In a near-by field two men were trying to separate a cow from its calf, and the lowing of one and the bleating of the other echoed up into the cool summer morning.

`What day was this?'

'Tuesday eve.'

'And they came for you yesterday. So in that twenty-four
hours the Warleggans presumably returned, someone told them of your visit, and it was discovered that the bible was missing. Who came to your cottage?'

'Constable Vage and a tall thin man with close-fixed eyes. I seen him 'bout the estate ..'

`Tankard, I expect. Did they charge you?'

'They said they had reason to s'pose I had stole a bible and other pieces from Trenwit
h and they was goin' to search
the cottage. They found the bible were I laid'n. I'd not even
so, much as looked at'n since
the night before
when I laid'n, there. Somehow I couldn't abets` to.'

Ross stared thoughtfully at the young man. `Yes, well
..’

Drake said: `Tis no consarn of yours, Cap'n, Poldark. Nor Sister's. I don't want for to make trouble. When I come up afore the magistrates I sh'll tell the plain truth. Tis all an error, and they'll leave me go. I done naught to be ashamed of.'

`I think you would be advised to accept such help as we can give you, boy. Where there is a conflict of evidence the accused person is not always believed. Especially if one of the magistrates has a score to settle. What size was the bible?'

'Oh ... not big. This size. But pretty, G.C.P. on the outside. And a silver locking clasp.'

`You were a fool to take it.'

`Aye, 1 know that. But at the time he pressed so hard. And I was beside meself - scarce knew what I was about.'

`Losing your girl, eh? Yes, that is hard. But you set your sights too high, Drake.'

`When I met her I wasn't aiming for nothing. B'lieve me. It - just come.'

`Yes . . .' Ross looked across at Renfrew, who was ostenmsibly counting some shovels. `Yes. Well, it is time you went back. Was Miss Chynoweth in the room when Geoffrey Charles gave you the bible?'

Drake thought. 'No. She were gone t'see if it were safe for me t'leave. But she must have seen me carrying it when she came back. I made no
secret
of carrying it.'

'Hm. But
-
Geoffrey Charles is quite reliable?'

`Oh, yes! I'd stake my life on that.'

`You may have to,' Ross said dryly. `Now go in. Renfrew! Your prisoner is ready to return.'

Before Ross left Renfrew told him that the local magistrates were due to meet tomorrow, Friday, at the Miner's Arms in St Ann's. Of course, he said, if it
. were felt a matter of
urgency, one or other of them might hear these three cases today and sentence the men or have them sent off to Truro; but with a normal meeting due tomorrow it was almost certain it would all be postponed until then.