The Miller's Dance (43 page)

The only one to comment earlier was Tom Guildford, who, having persuaded Clowance to go a walk with him along the beach, said:

‘
I
trust I'm mistaken, Miss Clowance, but it seems that your brother may not like me.'

'Oh, I don't think that at all!'

'Well, I had only been with you a short time and it seemed to me his face changed, and soon after that he left. I know of nothing I said that could have offended him.'

Clowance decided to be as direct,
I
think what you said that offended him was to tell us Valentine Warleggan was on his way to see us. I have no reason at all to suggest to you as to
why
he should not care to meet Valentine - they were friendly enough earlier in the year - but twice since Christmas when I have suggested we should call on him Jeremy has refused - and brusquely, as if the suggestion should never have bee
n made. I'm sorry if that is so,
for Valentine is very amusing. But Jeremy is not always easy to understand.'

Surf was thundering at them in the distance. So resonant was it that
the
beach might have been hollow like
the
stretched parchment of a bass drum.

'Well,' Tom said, 'if that is all, I am happy it is not I of whom he disapproves. For, wishing to stand so well with one of the Poldarks, I should be very unhappy to stand ill with any of them.'

'Certainly Isabella-Rose has a taking for you.'

'That is not kind.'

'Oh ? It was not meant unkind.'

'In some circumstances the merest pinprick can stab deep.'

'Oh, Tom,' Clowance said, smiling, 'you must not play the ardent suitor quite so soon. We have met three times, is it, and have been comfortable in each other's company. That is all.'

‘I
t is not all with me, I assure you. I swear to you I came to spend time at my uncle's house this Christmas quite heart free and fancy free, and looking for nothing but a pleasant relaxation; some gambling, some shooting, some drinking perhaps - but never this. An arrow has gone through my heart. If you cannot understand me you can at least pity me.'

Wheel Leisure had just been coaled and was sending up smoke from its chimney like curls escaping from a full-bottomed wig.

'Perhaps you know,' Clowance said, 'that I was until recently engaged to be married.'

'Valentine said something. I trust I am not ...' He paused.

'No, you are not. At least...'

'What unfortunate creature can have been so careless as to let you slip away? I am sorry for him.' 'But not for me?'

I
cannot suppose you really loved the fellow, or I believe you would have stuck to him through thick and thin.'

'Oh, Tom, that makes me feel very uncomfortable!'

‘I
t was not meant to, God help me. What minefield am I straying through?'

She laughed. 'Perhaps we should change the subject. It is a very difficult one to consider rationally, even for me - as yet. I only wanted you to know - to be aware - that...'

'A burnt child dreads the fire?'

I
was not going to say that, but I think you are right.'

'Fire can be warming as well as hurtful. However
...
let us not press the point. Do you want to know anything about me?'

She looked at his sturdy darkness - not a very good skin for a young man, but healthy. His teeth showed uneven when he smiled, but the quality of the smile was not affected. Physically attractive, if not with the dangerous animal maleness of Stephen. She thought he would have more humour in his disposition than any of her previous suitors. Even when he was at his most-passionate she suspected there would be a hint of self-deprecating irony at the root of his behaviour.

'Clearly you do not,' he said, after waiting. 'But I will tell you all the same, even tho
ugh in the briefest way. I am
twenty-three and in my last year at Jesus. I have one brother - older - and three sisters - younger. My family is not rich, neither is it poor. My parents live in Hampshire, but have property in Falmouth, also in Penzance. I am already reading law because I expect to go into that profession. But my ultimate aim is to live in Cornwall and possibly become agent for one or more of the big estates
...'
He broke off. 'Of course I should be saying all this to your father - and will in due course, with the slightest encouragement from you. But if I judge your family aright, their daughter is given exceptional liberty and freedom of choice; and what you personally decide will overcome everything else.'

They walked on. Two groups of birds, disturbed by their approach, stirred, moving
reluctantly out of their path. ‘What are those?' asked Tom. ‘
What? The birds? Those-are sanderlings.' 'Sanderlings?'

‘
Mixed with a few plovers. They often come at this time of year. The other group, those keeping their own company, are scoter ducks.'

'And that is your mine we have passed on the cliffs?'

'Yes.'

'Isabella-Rose was telling me about it.'

They walked on in silence.

'And me?' said Clowance presently.

‘
What?'

'What do you want to know about me?' He scrutinized her until she became restive under his glance.

'You?' he said,
I
want to know everything. But need to know nothing.'

IV

Jeremy had gone with Paul to the Bounders' Arms. After a while they were joined by Stephen. There the three young men sat talking and drinking and expressing their personal views of the world. None of
them
realized what a watershed in their lives the evening was to be.

‘I
t looks now as if the end of the war may come soon,' Jeremy said. 'There must be an end somewhere to Buonaparte's manpower.'

'However early it comes it's not likely to come early enough to save our firm,' said Paul.

Stephen said:
I
'm going away in a couple of weeks. I'm going back to Bristol, see if I can find a ship that suits me. I'll -throw me Leisure shares on the market - they may fetch what I put in. Twill be small enough capital; but it is only while the war lasts that a privateer can operate.'

'Even if the French collapse,
’
Paul said, 'which I doubt, we've still got the United States to fight.'

Emma came in with three fresh tankards,
I
didn't wait to be asked,' she said,
I
know now with you bonny swells that you keep time with the clock! just regular, eh?'

'Where's Ned?' Stephen said in a stage whisper. 'Out of sight? Time to give me a kiss, have you?'

She pulled her skirt out of his hands and laughed. 'Don't you make free. He's a hard man when he's roused!'

'I'll
wager,'
said Stephen significandy. ‘I’ll
wager.'

She left the room to more laughter, but they sobered when the latch clicked. There was little to cause any of them amusement. Stephen and he, Jeremy thought, were in like condition now: equally deprived, equally cheated, equally putting on the clown's mask. Of course there were vast differences in their circumstances, vast differences in their chance of yet getting what they most wanted. Stephen, he knew, was still more than half convinced that Clowance would come round in the end. He had rehearsed to Jeremy -who absolutely refused to be drawn as to his own opinion— the many things he might say to her when she called at the Gatehouse or accidentally contrived a meeting. Absence would eventually make the heart grow fonder. Although he did not say so openly, Jeremy could tell, by reading the hints and the silences, that Stephen cursed himself for having been such a fool as to have accepted the sexual half-measures Clowance had imposed upon him. He should, he believed now, have over-ridden them, taken her by semi-force if necessary. Women never fundamentally disliked a little rough treatment. (More than one had told him it was their secret dream.) Clowance might be different but she was not
that
different. And, once he had taken her, marriage would have swiftly followed. And, once they were married, quarrels took place
within
the marriage. They might shout at each other, even come to blows; but they would have been bound then, living together; her mettlesome independence would have been forfeit.

Since October Stephen's name had been linked with one girl after another, but mainly with Lottie Kempthorne, the lanky daughter of Charlie K
empthorne who had come to a bad—
end a good many years ago by betraying the local smugglers. His two scrawny little daughters had been taken in by an aunt in St Ann's and brought up with her own children. May had married a pat
ten-maker and gone to live away,
but Lottie at twenty-five or six was still unmarried and a year ago had been turned out of her aunt's cottage for
her loose behaviour. More recentl
y she had been reluctantly allowed in again, but her reputation remained unredeemed. She was pretty in a rather limp way, and there were rumours that she had been seen coming out of the Gatehouse during the recent moonlit nights, an occurrence which would not commend itself to the Poldarks generally if it were ever confirmed.

Stephen still worked part time for Wilf Jonas. They had come to an arrangement whereby he could take a day off when he chose. So long as Stephen had any expectations of regaining Clowance he could count on s
ome consideration from Wil
f, and he'd agreed a cut in wages to ease the way.

Privately Jeremy could see Clowance's point of view and could have spent some time explaining it to Stephen; but what was happening in Clowance's heart he had no idea at all, and he was pretty sure that that would decide it in the end. The intervention of a third party, with whatever good intentions, would be a useless exercise and make him unpopular with both.

So they were two of a kind, he and Stephen - except that
he
had no hope at all. Two of a kind. Restless, deprived, unable to come to terms with what had happened to them.

Stephen began talking about the captured vessels that were for sale again in Plymouth and at other, smaller, ports around the coasts: a beautiful American brig, for instance; a fine fir-built French cutter; vessels of that sort could well be bought at knock-down prices; they were ready for sea, could be victualled and crewed within a matter of weeks and soon enough be cruising off the French or Irish coasts looking for the sort of prizes they had recently become. Did one have the money. Did one but have the money!

Paul yawned. 'You are becoming a
thought tedious on the subject
Miller. You bring it up not less than once a week, I'll wager, and all to no end. If wishes were butter-cakes, beggars might bite.' 'Well,' Stephen said sardonically, 'there is another
p
roverb: nothing stake, nothing draw. I am still the richer
b
y not a few guineas - as you should be - from the Penzance lifeboat.'

'And observe by what a narrow margin we survived that!' exclaimed Paul.
1
would still be reluctant to exhibit my face in Plymouth even now.'

I
would exhibit me face in Plymouth tomorrow,' Stephen said, 'if twould profit me. But to buy one of those vessels you'd need maybe four or five hundred pounds; then there'd be the expense of fitting her out and getting her to sea. You'd need seven hundred to be on the safe side.' He took a gulp of beer. 'Lot of use me Leisure shares would be to meet that. No
...
twill mean me trying me luck in Bristol once more -going as a paid hand but with a small share. God's wounds, I don't want a shall share, I want the lion's share, so's I can go where I like, do what I like! Once you get started on your own, once you get launched
...
And as soon as this war's over the opportunity's lost!'

Paul fumbled in his pocket,
I
came upon a mystery the other day. Travellers leave all sorts of things in coaches -gloves, canes, parasols, mittens, shoes, purses, reticules, newspapers, books, monthly magazines. As often as not they come back for them or send a servant. But they scarcely ever return for newspapers or magazines. Last month I was going through these - in time you get a pile and you can sell 'em for a' few pence; people down here don't mind their being out of date. Well, I was going through these, and one was
The
Morning
Post
for Monday, 23 rd November.'

'What's that?' asked Stephen. 'Newspaper?'

'Yes. A London daily newspaper.'

Stephen grunted and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. 'So.'

'So it had a news item in it. Thought it might entertain you both, considering some of the wildcat discussions we've had together.'

He brought out a wrinkled quarter-page of a newspaper, unfolded it. He studied it himself for a few moments, smoothing it with his hand, glanced at the others, hesitating whether to read it aloud, then pushed it towards them, between the beer tankards. They put their heads together
and read it at the same time. '
It was headed: 'Startling Robbery.'