The Pool of St. Branok (27 page)

Grace was horrified. She said: “Think of all the hardships out there.”

“Yes, my mother has talked of them. But she was there a long time ago. Things may have changed.”

I was very apprehensive, but Gervaise was so eager. I think he had had a real fright when he realized the amount of his debts and what the consequences would be if he could not meet them. He was desperate and this seemed an honorable way out.

Morwenna was very sad at the thought of my going. Justin was particularly thoughtful; and then one day, Morwenna came to me in a state of great excitement.

Before I could ask what had happened, she burst out: “We’re coming with you. Justin thinks it would be wonderful to seek our fortunes in the goldfields. For so long he has been thinking of what work would suit him. This is just it.”

I looked at her and laughed; and then we were hugging each other.

I think everyone felt a little easier because the four of us were going. Grace seemed particularly relieved.

“It will make such a difference,” she said. “I am so pleased.”

“Really, Grace,” I replied, “the way everyone is talking you would think we were never coming back.”

“Morwenna will be a good companion for you … and Justin and Gervaise get on so well together.”

“I am afraid they are both too fond of gambling.”

“Well, let us hope that this gamble brings the desired results.”

After that I could view the prospect with more enthusiasm. It was to be a great adventure and, I told my mother, we could be lucky very soon. In that case we should come home at once. Who knew, we might be with her this time next year.

T
HERE HAD BEEN A
reply from Benedict. He would do all he could to help. There was a letter for me in which he said he had often thought of me and he was delighted at the prospect of seeing me again. “You must be quite grown up now. A married woman! I wonder if we shall recognize each other.”

I was sure I should recognize him. He had been vivid in my mind for so long.

Much as I hated leaving my family, I was growing excited at the prospect of a completely different life.

And in due course we traveled to Tilbury and set sail on the
Royal Albert;
our destination—Melbourne.

O
NCE THE EXCITEMENT OF
getting on board and settling into shipboard life was over, the voyage was, I suppose, an uneventful one. The ports of call were of great interest to us and Gervaise was a wonderful guide and companion. He seemed to have cast off all memory of those hideous debts which he had left behind; he was so sure that all would be well, and such was his personality that he made me believe it, too.

Life seemed one long round of pleasure with him; I suppose it was that side of his nature which made me love him. It was impossible to be unhappy long in his company; he had the gift of shrugging off the unpleasant and making the most of what was delightful.

I had asked him not to gamble again. I said: “You see what it has brought you to.”

He put on a mock penitent expression and said he would do anything in the world to please me. I took it that meant he would restrain himself from the habit which had already wrought such havoc in our lives.

I was young; I was adventurous by nature and I could not help throwing myself into the excitement of the moment. I began to accept Gervaise’s optimism. We
were
going to strike gold. In a very short time we should come back rich and all debts would be paid to Uncle Peter. We should live happily ever after in our dear little house in which I had taken such pride. And having acquired a fortune Gervaise would lose the desire to make another. The present and the future were always good in Gervaise’s eyes; it was only the past, if that were unpleasant, which should be forgotten.

And so I began to enjoy the voyage. We made a few friends on the ship. We liked Captain Gregory. He knew Australia well. His father had settled there forty years before and had a property outside Melbourne. The Captain had come to England to study navigation. He visited his family when his ship called at Australia. We often dined with him and the Chief Officer—a very pleasant young man who told us a great deal about the ship.

We looked forward to arriving at the ports. Morwenna said that one of the most delightful experiences was being at sea and waking up one morning to find oneself in port. The four of us would go out together; we reveled in strange places and marveled at the scenery and the customs of the people which were different from our own; life was amusing and full of pleasure.

It was wonderful to see places which hitherto had been only names on the map; it was exciting to take a horse-drawn carriage in Tenerife and visit that spot where our own Lord Nelson had fought and lost his right arm. I could have lingered there. I should have enjoyed going up to the sunken crater of Las Canadas and to have mounted even higher up Pico de Teide which dominated the island.

But our stay was brief. I told the Captain that was a matter of great regret. He smiled at me and said: “The object, my dear young lady, is to get you to Melbourne as fast as we can. We stop at these places only to load stores.”

Gervaise said: “It is probably as well that our stays are brief. It makes us appreciate it all the more.”

He was determined to enjoy every moment and I wondered briefly whether in his heart he doubted whether we would come out with the gold which would change our fortunes and how he would adapt to the life of a miner. If he did he never showed it. I had learned a great deal about him since our marriage but there was still a great deal to discover.

I remember Durban—the capital of Natal—which had recently become a British colony. It was a very beautiful town right on the coast and there was something very exciting in the sight of the waves breaking on the shore.

But perhaps what makes that time stand out so vividly in my memory was what happened aboard.

I had thought Morwenna looked a little tired and when we returned to our cabins she said she would lie down. I had a feeling that there was something on her mind and I sought an early opportunity of talking to her.

That opportunity came after we had left Durban, from which we sailed at midnight. We were sitting on deck together. The sea was calm; there was not even a ripple on the water; it was the color of translucent jade with here and there a touch of aquamarine.

I glanced at her sideways; she was pale and there were shadows under her eyes.

“Morwenna,” I said, “is something wrong?”

“No, no,” she replied sharply. “What should be?”

“I thought you looked a little … strained.”

“Strained? You mean tired?”

“Yes … as if something is worrying you.”

She was silent for a few moments, then she said: “I’m very happy, Angelet. I don’t think I have ever been so happy. The only thing that makes it less perfect is that Ma and Pa are not here. I think they were very worried about my going.”

“Naturally they would be uneasy. They have adored you all your life. But it is always like that with families. The children grow up and marry and lead their own lives. I daresay my parents felt the same as yours.”

“I know.”

“That isn’t what is worrying you.”

“I’m not worried, Angelet, I’m very happy.”

“Then what are you trying to tell me?”

“I thought you might guess. I am going to have a baby.”

“Morwenna!”

“Yes.” She was smiling. “I think it is what I have always wanted. A little baby … all my own … and Justin’s too.”

“What does Justin say?”

“He doesn’t know. That’s what makes me a little worried. That strain you detected. I am a little anxious. He is so enjoying all this. I didn’t want to spoil it for him.”

“Do you think he would not want a child?”

“Oh no … He hasn’t said anything like that. But you see we are going to this new country and we don’t know what we are going to find. He would be worried about me … and the baby.”

“That will be all right. They have midwives there and doctors surely.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“It’s wonderful. Oh, Morwenna, I can’t imagine you with a baby. You make me feel envious.”

“I suppose you’ll have a baby one day.”

“Yes, I suppose so. And Justin doesn’t know?”

“Not yet. You see,
I
knew before we left. At least I suspected. I thought if I told anyone it might spoil things. Mother and Pa would have put their feet down firmly and my father can be very persistent when he wants to. They would never have let me come away if they had known. They would have wanted me to go back to Pencarron and have the child.”

“Well, I can understand that.”

“Justin would have been so worried. He had to go on this venture. I knew it. He is so enthusiastic … so sure that it is going to make our fortunes.”

“Just like Gervaise.”

“You would have done the same if you had been in my position, Angelet.”

“Yes, I suppose I might. But there is no need to keep it secret any longer. You’re here on this ship. It isn’t going to make any difference now. We are going on.”

“Yes,” she said. “But I don’t want to worry Justin.”

“He has got to share in this. Besides, you ought to be taking special care, oughtn’t you? We shall have to cosset you a bit now.”

“I’m so glad you know.”

“I reckon we should tell the men.”

“All right. Let’s do that. I’ll tell Justin first … when we are alone.”

“And have I your permission to tell Gervaise?”

“Of course.”

When I told him he was amused. “Well, fancy that,” he said. “She’s stolen a march on us.”

“She is very happy about the baby. She is so good and unselfish. She doesn’t think about going into what might well prove to be a primitive place. All she thought about was spoiling Justin’s pleasure in all this.”

“Yes, she’s a good girl. Justin is lucky. We are both lucky.” That evening we celebrated. Justin was delighted; and I had never seen Morwenna so happy. Her first thought was that no one at home should know until the baby was born, for she was sure her parents would be very worried at the thought of her far from home at such a time.

There was another occasion during that voyage that I remembered well. It was after we had left Bombay. We had had only one day ashore but we had made the most of it. The heat had been intense, but we had been enchanted by the city, yet depressed by the multitude of beggars who surrounded us. Gervaise had quickly given away all the money he had brought out with him and for the rest of the day he cheerfully borrowed from the rest of us. We bought some beautiful silk materials and ebony elephants and some exquisite carved ivory.

It had been a most exciting day and that evening we dined with the Captain.

He loved to talk and was something of a raconteur. He had a pleasant custom of dining with most of the passengers during the voyage, and always at his table there was a great deal of gossip and laughter. Gervaise said he probably told the same stories over and over again; and that was why he liked to change the company.

That night he was in a reminiscent mood.

He said: “Well, we shall not be so very long now. Soon we shall be reaching our destination and I shall have to say goodbye to all you charming people.”

We all said how we had enjoyed the voyage.

“It is an adventure in itself … the first time. Of course when I consider the number of times I have sailed between the Old Country and Australia … well, to tell the truth, I find it hard to remember how many.”

“It must have made you somewhat blasé,” I commented.

“Not as far as people are concerned. It is amazing how different people are. No voyage is ever like another … and it is all because of the people. I know you don’t intend to settle in Australia. We get quite a number of passengers who are doing just that. I suppose it is just a visit for you. Are you visiting relations?”

Gervaise said: “We shall have a look at the goldfields.”

“Ah yes. We have had many coming out for that. Only of course the fever has died down a little lately. To what part are you going?”

“It’s some miles north of Melbourne. A place called Golden Creek.”

“Oh, that’s Lansdon country.”

“Lansdon country?” I stammered.

“That’s what they call it. Chap named Benedict Lansdon made a bit of a stir there a few years back. He’s a sort of big white chief in the neighborhood.”

“We are going to see him. He’s a … connection of mine.”

“Oh well, you’ll be in the best company with Ben Lansdon. Couldn’t be in better hands.”

“Do you know him?”

“Everyone thereabouts knows Ben Lansdon.”

“Why?”

“Well, he’s made a bit of a name for himself. They think a great deal of him out there. It was rather like the Eureka Stockade affair all over again.”

“What was that all about?” asked Gervaise.

“I suppose that sort of news wouldn’t get to the Old Country. Or if it did it would just be a few lines on the back page of the newspaper. It was all over Melbourne. Peter Lalor was a sort of hero in that affair. It was miners against the government and it was the miners who really won in the end. Well, Ben Lansdon is another Peter Lalor. He’s one of those natural leaders. He took charge and things got sorted out … so to speak. He’s quite a name in the district.”

I felt a certain glow of pride. I was remembering him as he had been when he arrived at Cador. He had been different then from anyone I had ever known. I had admired him so much, adored him would be a more apt way of putting it. But in those days of my youth I had set up idols: my father; Jonnie; Ben. Yes, I was an idol worshiper. But then that affair at the pool had changed everything and Ben had gone and I had been left to face it alone.

The Captain settled down to tell the tale. He loved an audience and on this occasion he had a very attentive one.

“You see,” he said, “men were rushing out to find gold. People had been finding it for years and then … what would it be? … must have been in the early fifties I think when they found gold in New South Wales. Then at Ballarat near Melbourne someone found six hundred ounces in a couple of days … and that was it. People were scrabbling frantically for gold. Some found it. All over Victoria they were coming across gold. My father’s place was nearby. He’s often told me how the place changed overnight. All over the country little townships were springing up. They even had the odd hotel. Not the classy establishments they have at home, but good enough for miners who weren’t looking for fancy living. They had one thing in mind: gold. Men were coming out by the thousands. When you’ve mined a certain spot for a few years the gold can run out. There is not an inexhaustible supply. There was a lot of hardship. Some would be working for weeks and months and finding nothing. To my mind the government wanted to put a stop to the fever so they started to charge people a license to dig. The more hardships there seemed to be, the higher were the fees. You see, what was wanted was to get people back to the towns, to put a stop to this search for gold which was not there.”