The Miller's Dance (11 page)

'You can't drop a four-year-old down a well like you can a four-week-old. Maybe she wished she
h
ad
done.
It was too late. She knew a woman called Black Moll. Not a savoury name, eh? Moll wasn't savoury neither. I'll not forget the smell of her.' Stephen wiped his hand across his mouth. 'You'd never believe, she was on the side of the law. She worked at a sponging house in Tewkesbury. Know what that is?'
I
can guess.'

'No, you can't. Not if you don't know. It is a place where debtors be kept before they go to court and to prison. She had two brats of her own. She said she'd take me. Mother promised to pay. Don't know if she did. I never knew...'

'What happened?'

' We
-11
... I stopped two years. Most times I had to steal to eat. Then I ran away. Nobody cared.' Stephen peered out at the day. 'Look, there's snowflakes, at
this
time o'year. Let us go and take a second look at the Gatehouse before dark falls. There's half an hour.'

'Tell me the rest. I want to know.'

In the distant parlour - and because the library had been built on it did sound distant - Isabella-Rose was trying to sing. Even from here it was discordant.

'When you're barely seven and you've no one to answer for you, you're liable to get picked up, sent to a House of Correction ... Or maybe sent to prison for stealing an apple. That's what happened to me.'

'Sent to prison?'

'That's right. Oh yes. Didn't know you had a gaolbird for a suitor, did you. Only a month, first time, first offender. When I come out - came out - they put me in charge of the Overseers, who sold me to the coal mines in the Forest of Dean. I worked there near a year before I ran away. Then I lived wild for a bit-'

'You worked in the mines?'

'Yes. Had me eighth birthday down the Avoncroft Coal Mine.' Stephen paused and rubbed his chin, which rasped. 'Funny, you're the first I've told. First ever. I tell people I've never
been
down a mine. I told Jeremy that. I went down Wheal Leisure last year, just to see if it was the same. It was.

The shive
rs took me, reminded me of old t
imes. Funny, I always pretend. Pretend to meself often as not It saves bad dreams.' "But at dotage...'

'Yes, I'll say that for Cornish miners, they don't take children underground, not till they're ten or eleven and then only as willing learners. I was put to draw a truck. In harness, like a pony - or more like a dog. The tunnel I drew the truck through was often so small a bigger lad could not have done it. The truck runs along iron rails from the place where they hew the coal to the foot of the shaft, just like in a Cornish mine, see, but there they use children to draw it. They put a belt round your-waist and this is clamped to a chain betwixt your legs, so as you pull it it chafes your legs and rubs 'em raw. One day when we're better acquainted I'll show you marks I've got,'

Clowance said: 'You were like that-a year?'

'Give or take a month. You lose count of time. But I gave 'em the slip one da
y and headed into the forest. I
was scared to stop running for a long time because if you got caught you not only got beaten, you had chains riveted to your ankles and wrists and you never had 'em taken off, night or day. But I was lucky.'

'Lucky...'

'Well, yes.
‘
Twas summer so I could live wild. It isn't so hard when there's fruit growing. I lived well enough till winter came on, then I began to give out. Village called Harfield, not far from Dursley, I went to a farm begging. Last place they'd set the dogs on me. This one, woman came to the door, took pity on me, gave me a crust. Black-eyed, Jewish-looking woman - but she wasn't Jewish, just Welsh, name of Elwyn. When her husband came in I thought he'd kick me away from his fireside, where I'd wheedled me way; but the woman persuaded him to let me stay the night. I stayed seven years. They were good to me. After their fashion. Mind, I worked from dawn to dusk seven days a week. But after the mines it was heaven.
And
I got learned to read and write, learned to be a farmer. Or a farmer's boy. Mebbe I should've stayed. They'd no children. Mebbe if I'd stayed I should've inherited the farm. But I didn't. One day I journeyed to Bristol and saw the sea.'

'Weren't you a coachman for a rime?'

He looked up. 'Your father's been telling you that? Aye, for Sir Edward Hope, near Bristol. B
ut it was no good. Couldn't settl
e once I'd seen the sea.'

'Will you ever be able to settle?'

He smiled and looked at her. 'Can I ever want to be away from you?'

'It's easy to say that now!'

I
know. Who can promise anything? Certainly I can't change me nature. But would you want me to? I certainly wouldn't want to change yours.'

He sat beside her and kissed her, let his lips run over her face. 'You're a wonder to me every day, Clowance. The more I know of you the more I think this. What a wife you'll make me!'

I
only love you,' said Clowance. 'That's all.'

'And God's me life, I dearly care for you -'-

The door burst open and Isabella-Rose projected herself into the room with the speed of a Congreve fire rocket. She stopped short on seeing them, all brakes squeaking.

'Clowance!
And
Stephen!
Ooh... I didn't know. Mama didn't tell me you was here. Damn me! What a lark, eh? I thought you only kissed at party times!'

She was in pink dim
ity, with shiny scarlet ribbons
in her black hair. She was the most like Demelza of the three children, with the long legs and the eyes and the quick movements of her mother. But the eyes were not so softly dark and her voice was hoarse. At this stage one could only guess whether she would grow into a raving beauty or miss it all by a mile.

'Damn me!' she said again. 'I'm interrupting, ain't I.'

'Bella, you sho
uld not swear,' Clowance said.
'Well, old Mr Treneglos was here yesterday, talking to Papa and he said "damn me" or "stone me" every time he opened his mouth. If he can, why not me?'

'Because you're not grown up. And because it's not ladylike anyhow.'

'Who wants to be a lady?' asked Isabella-Rose. 'And I'll wager Stephen swears, don't you, Stephen, eh, what?
’
'Often,'said Stephen.

'Did you hear me singing? It was a song I made up all by myself, about a snail. I'll sing it for you sometime, Stephen!' 'Thank you, me darling.'

'What a lark, kissing in
the
library!' said Isabella-Rose. She retreated to the door. 'Will that happen to me when I grow up?'

'Aye,' said Stephen. 'If not before.'

'Stone me,'
said Isabella-Rose. And went out.

They stared at each other, annoyed at the interruption, then broke out laughing together.

After a minute Clowance said: 'Have you never heard of your mother - not ever since you were four?'

'I heard
about
her once or twice, when I was on the farm. She was with the players. They came twice to Dursley. But Mrs Elwyn thought play-going was sinful.'

'Even to see your own mother?'

'I didn't tell her.'

‘
Why not?
’

'They thought I was an orphan. Twere better left that way.'

Clowance looked at his face - so close to her own. She looked at
his hair, his eyes, his mouth. ‘
What are you staring at?'

She said: 'You were underground - in those conditions -at eight. I can scare believe it.' 'It happens all the time. Nor many are so lucky as me.' 'It - hasn't stunted you. You're big - and strong.' 'Farming did that.'

'The thought of you in the mine scares me.'

'It does me, even now, if I think of it. So I don't think of

'I shouldn't have asked.'

'Maybe you should. Maybe it's better not to pretend.'" She held his arm. He was frowning. It was the first sign of

vulnerability she had seen in him, and it made him more

than ever dear to her.

She said: 'And before that - to go to prison at seven for stealing an apple!'

'Four apples, to tell the truth. Of course I'd stole before then - all the time I was with Black Moll.'

'And since?'

'Privateering is a sort of stealing, isn't it. Legalized piracy, some call it.' it's not that sort I mean.'
I
'd steal to get you!' 'You haven't had to.'

'No... No... Glory be. Glory, glory, glory be.' 'Amen.'

He put his hand over hers. 'What
is
going to happen on Sunday?'

'Oh, nothing much. Nothing important We shall just have supper, just the family, with Dr and Mrs Enys, who are our oldest friends. I have said, no fuss, no toasts, just a friendly meal; thus it will be done.'

Stephen said again: 'Let us walk as far as the Gatehouse while the daylight lasts.'

IV

Badajoz was invested on March 16. The great fortress had changed hands twice before; this time the British were determined to have it for good, and it was estimated that the siege might take a month. In fact the final assault began -and one whi
ch was to be the bloodiest battl
e of the war -on Easter Sunday. Only an ho
ur after supper finished at Nam
para, where the Poldarks rejoiced in, or at least marked and. celebrated, the betrothal of their eldest daughter to Stephen Carrington, all hell broke loose around that distant Spanish fortress as the British, starved by their government of proper siege equipment, attempted to force the walls by hand-to-hand assault Geoffrey Charles Poldark, Captain in the Monmouthshire, was among the leading assault troops to face the mines, the grenades, the powder barrels and the murderous crossfire which was to decimate the attacking army. Five thousand men fell that night. But in Nampara a fire crackled cheerfully in the parlour; well fed, the men comfortably sipped their port and stretched their legs, the ladies chatted and gossiped. Isabella-Rose, up late for
the
special occasion, was being suitably well-behaved and restrained, though she cast envious eyes at the spinet. Superficially at least one could not have imagined a more homely and restful scene. There was no psychic bond, no spiritual link to span the distance and set up the smallest alarm to tell them that one of their flesh and blood was in direst peril. The bell might toll, but none could hear.

Demelza thought: he is nice-looking and he will fit in; already he is easier of manner, less tense, since we said yes. They
are
in love with each other; she knows her own mind; I was two years younger than she is when I knew mine. We
must
find him something better than Jonas's Mill soon; but I expect Ross is right, let him begin so; anyway he won't be easy to fit in, for he has no learning; Judas, I feel queer.

Dwight and Ross were discussing the changes in medical attitudes that had been taking place. More and more the apothecary had grown in importance these last years, and a two-tier system of service had come into being. The poor and most of the middle-classes now employed the apothecary first. Physicians and surgeons devoted much or their time to the rich, or were consulted or called in by lesser
folk if the case were sufficientl
y grave or sufficiently interesting. Dwight - 'naturally!' interposed Caroline - refused to follow this pattern. He continued to go everywhere in the village, not caring whether he was paid or not, and so had built up a reputation - for which he cared nothing - and a sense of trust - for which he cared a great deal.

'I hear Mr Pope is coming brave again,' Demelza said. Then she raised an ironical eyebrow. 'Beg pardon, I know we are not permitted to ask.'

There was a laugh. Dwight said: 'When I was there on Thursday who should be calling on them but Unwin Trevaunance.'

'Unwin?' said his wife. 'I did not know he was in the county!'

'Staying with the de Dunstanvilles, it seems. Originally, of course, he sat in the Basset interest.'

'You never told me he was here,' said Caroline. 'How deceitful of you! Does he have his wife with him? I've never yet met her.'

I
would not think so. It seems he is here on business.' 'When was Unwin ever not?' said Caroline. 'Even when he was courting me!' There was another laugh.

Dwight said:
I
could start a news sheet with the gossip I hear. The story about Unwin is that when he sold the property to the Popes he did not sell the mining rights.'

‘
it's a common practice,' said Ross.

'Well, some prospectors wish to begin excavations near Place house, I'm told. Chenhalls from Bodmin is behind it and Unwin is putting in money. Mr Pope objects, as it is too near the house and he says it will ruin his property.'

'The old smelting works have long spoiled his view down the cove,' said Demelza.