Warleggan (17 page)

`I am not compelled to do it, I want to do it. Perhaps you can get more than six hundred for the shares.' '

`It's a tidy price. I s-suppose you will use the money in, some way to keep your other mine alive?'

'No.' I'
m reconciled
to the loss of that. I want the money for a special purpose. I want
to leave it in your hands for
the moment. Since you consented to act for an anonymo
us client once, you can hardly
refuse to do so again.'

Pascoe stared at his
lean visitor, who at times was coming to have a wolfish look

`I don't follow you.'

`Francis's widow and his family are in dire poverty. More so now than we are. And she has no man. Two years ago Francis sank
his last six hundred pounds in
Wheal Grace. I feel a sting of responsibility for the resu
lt. I want Elizabeth Poldark to
have that six hundred pounds back.'

`And will she accept it?'

Ross brooded for a moment. 'No. Or I think not. That's where I want your help. When my shares in Leisure are sold; I want you to make her an offer for her holding
-
or her son's holding
in Wheal Grace, on behalf of an anonym
ous client you represent. She's
bound, to accept that, and the money can
then be transferred to her.'

Ross watched the sleet melting and trickling down the

windows. The old year was true to its reputation to the last. He added : `It's not an original idea, being cribbed from your
friend who used it on my behalf.'

Mr. Pascoe blew the sand away, and shook his document
backwards and forwards to be sure it was dry, 'You mean you
are offering £600 for a half share in
a mine which Is about to close?'

'We are not closed yet, of course. The miracle may always happen.!

'And do you suppose your cousin-in-law will b-b
elieve some stranger is foolish
enough to make such an offer?'

`Could
I believe
anyone was foolish enough to accept a renewal of my promissory note?'

Mr. Pascoe coughed. 'No.
'

There was another silence. Pascoe's eyes moved to the clock. `You'll
take dinner with
us?'

`Thank you'

They got up. Pascoe said: 'As your banker and your creditor, I must try to dissuade you from making this
quixotic move.
F-frankly I consider
ill-advised. You can't afford
it. Indeed you can't. This is the only money you have.'

`I can't afford it,' said Ross. 'And
-
I have my own wife to keep and nay
own son to
care for. But I'm here to look after them myself. Francis is not. If I do this, I shall order my life with a clearer conscience.'

`Would it not be as
satisfactory if you
made over your income from the Leisure shares, I mean temporarily,
until things improve for Mrs Poldark:
One ne
ver quite knows how
circumstances change. It wouldn't be a lot for her, no
big lump sum, - but
it would mean a regular payment every quarter"

`No,' said Ross. 'It would not be as satisfactory.'

Harris Pascoe went over to a side cupboard beside the
window and took a
decanter
and two
glasses from it.
`I did not s-suppose that any advice I chose to give you would be heeded!

Ross rubbed his chin. `Your advice is always welcome, Harris. Like your friendship, I know its solid value. But in ' these matters where blood and sinew come into it and sometimes affection and dislike, we have to behave according to the chemicals in us. This act would give us
satisfaction and that would not;
So we do things, make moves which can't seem sensible to an onlooker such as yourself. But always it's good to have someone by who points steadily to magnetic north. That's what you do. And we remember it with gratitude, even when we remember it too late.'

Harris Pascoe clinked his glass as he poured out the canary.

`I will, of course, do what I can to help you, Ross. I cannot withh
old that, though I withhold my
approval It is a very honourable gestur
e you are making. I hope you'll
not come to regret it.'

The Fox and Grapes was a
small rather lonely posting
inn midway between Killewarren and Redruth. In it, at about
this time, two other people were also drinking canary and making plans.

Fifteen minutes before, Caroline Penvenen and her groom
had ridden up; and Caroline had said she wanted some refreshment and some shelter from, the weather and he must go
on ahead of
her and assure the Teagues that she would be
with them very, shortly. The lad looked uncomfortable, hot, and reluctant to go, part betraying his secret instructions from his master; so Caroline
impatiently told him
to wait outside for her; she would rejoin him when her thirst was quenched.

In the little dark parlour of the inn with its framed needlework pictures, its Indian fern, and its, pewter mugs, she peeled off her gloves and stood a moment warming her hands by the fire, uncertain whether the arrangement had worked out as planned. She had seen no horse outside, but it would be a common precaution to tether it, out of sight. As, the innkeeper's wife came bustling in with the wine, she drew a breath to ask; and then she saw two glasses on the tray and Dwight standing on the threshold of the door.

Very soon they were, in each other's arms. A cynic would have noted the sharp advance in their relationship since Mr. Penvenen's move. Caroline perh
aps would
have taken the same course in any event, but without opposi
tion she might have been months longer taking it. Instead at the moment she was making the
running, and Dwight was giving her her head
willingly and happily as to destination but doubtfully as to course. Perhaps something of the conflict in his mind showed in his expression, for abruptly she broke away and said-,
`Do you not feel as I do? I should be sorr
y to go too fast and too far.'

Neither, my darling, for that would be imposs
ible. I
-
only wonder as to method. By nature I dislike secrecy
-
as I know you do
-
if it can be avoided. I should like to go to your uncle now
and tell him what we, intend.

`You don't know Uncle Ray. He has a streak of obstinacy
common to all the Penvenen. But is there perhaps some special
reason for your disliking the idea of an elopement?' `Why d'you ask?'

'Because I feel there is'

He came' behind her chair, put his hand on her forehead. `It's, such a poor reason that I'm ashamed of it. You've heard of Keren Daniel?'

'The girl
who -
'

`Yes, the girl I fell in love
with, though she was a patient
of mine
-
the girl whose husband, Mark Daniel, found her unfaithful . . . and killed her
-
when he should have come to kill me.'

`Do you know, I heard
a different version -
that she threw herself at
your head
etc.
I
can
always be sure of one thing, Dwight, that your charity, which
covers so much,
never extends to yourself,'

One version or the other, the facts are not in dispute. A man of my profession who acts as I acted is entitled to consider himself very low.' Dwight was going to move
away, but she
caught his
hand on her shoulder. `People
were kind - charitable as you call it. The version that you heard has become the accepted one. Sometimes I accept it myself. But there is a stigma still. Therefore
-
ones future conduct becomes of
the greatest moment.’

`And marrying me ...

`Marrying you openly would set a seal on my happiness
-
yes, and on my respectability too
-
that
I don't deserve
-
but gladly take, Marrying you in secret, running away with you at night - though I willingly, gladly ta
ke that too-smacks a little of
the fortune hunter, of the morally, equivocal person which my affair with Keren suggests I really am. To leave also all my friends and patients without a word hints at desertion too, a desertion vastly different from the affair of Keren but not altogether different in
effect,
'

He broke off and
covered her hand
with his other one. It lay quiescent bet
ween his, but he did not delude
himself that that signified quiescence on Caroline's part. He had said more than he intended.

She said quietly enough: ‘D
o you liken me to Keren?' `Good God, no! You're as far apart ' '

`Isn't this really, truly, something in yourself, Dwight? Haven't you to overcome it in an
y case? Nowhere I've been have I
heard a word of blame for you in Keren's death. She threw herself at every man Why should anyone think worse of you for marrying me?'

'Not marrying you, no
'

`Or of running away
with me.' She withdrew her hand but not angrily: `Dwight, y
ou may feel I'm unreasonable in
not doing as you want
-
but I have such a strong instinct that
the other way is right., If we
come out into the open before we go
-
now, with a whole month to wait, there will be all manner of complications, new difficulties to face. It will mean leaving my uncle's house, breaking with him directly , and although I know I can do that, I don't want to
. I don't at all want to if it
can be avoided. Although I pretend to care nothing what he thinks, my ties are really quite strong. I owe him things which I should not if he were, my father.... If we leave in secret, run away, he will be furious. He will denounce us both in the strongest possible language. But he will denounce us only to himself, for there will be no one else to say it to. Nothing will be said to us which it would be impossible for his dignity's sake to withdraw. Nor should I say anything,
definite, final, wounding, as
I should if confronting him to his face. This way, with luck, there should be nothing to stop a reconciliation in six or
twelve months. He will accept
what cannot be undone. But the other way there would be a "if-you-leave-this-house-you-leave-it-for-ever" scene, and his pride would prevent him from retracting.'

Dwight was silent, and was silenced, There was nothing to advance against this. It was true what Caroline said, that his reluctance was something he must personally fight and overcome. In any case, it was manifestly unfair to burden her with - the aftereffects of an old love affair-for it was nothing more than that
. He liked her better not less
well for her loyalty to the old man, which was something she had not betrayed until it came to the point of defying him. Like most of her feelings, she had kept it well hidden,'

Dwight still woke up sometimes with a sense of incredulity that this brilliant, vital young woman had consented to marry him at all. She was giving up
so much to do so. It would be
a measure, of his own smallness and ingratitude if he queried her way of doing it.

A week-late
r Elizabeth
sent a message that she wanted to see Ross. He rode to Trenwith in the teeth of a northwesterly gale. When he got there, he thought he had never known the old house so empty. The wind howled down the big open chimney in the hall, loose panes in the great window rattled ceaselessly, a worn mat by the door floated and flapped in the air current. Human life and warmth had gone from the place.

Elizabeth was upstairs, and he watched her come down the broad staircase in that swift, lightfooted way sh
e had
made peculiarly her own. She was wearing a little white masculine jacket over her tight-waisted grey dress. She saw his eyes light up at the sight of her.

"Ross.-' She offered him her hand. `Please come in.' I am sorry to have brought, you from your work. But I want to know what I must do.'

He followed her into the winter parlour, and she took up two letters from beside the spinning wheel. She gave him the first:
Although he knew very much
what its contents were, he went through it carefully, interested to see just how Pascoe had worded the thing. When he'd finished, he looked
up at her.

'Well, isn't it astonishing?' she said. `That anyone should offer us
-
at this stage-as much for my share in Wheal Grace as Francis first put into it? Has there been some new discovery of ore?'

None: I wish there had. It's strange, I agree. Indeed, its hard to understand. Everyone knows we must finish soon. And Pascoe says he may not disclose who it is. You had this Yesterday?'

'Yes.' She hesitated, lashes dark on her cheek. 'My first thought was George Warleggan. You know of his attempts to help me. Indeed I think he tries-to make things better for me just as persistently as he tries to make them worse for you. And I thought that by buying these shares he was perhaps seeking both ends at the same time.
. . . So I wrote to Mr. Pascoe -
sent it in by Tabb yesterday. Tabb waited for an answer.'

She offered him the second letter.

'Dear Madam,' Ross read, `I thank you for your communication delivered to me today. I air able to assure you that, should you and Captain Poldark
decide to sell your son's holding in Wheal Grace, the interest will not pass to any member of the Warleggan family nor to anyone representing them: The prospective buyer is, an independent gentleman with your son's and your own best interests at heart. There will be no attempt to interfere with the present control of the mine. I have the honour to be,, madam, Your obedient servant, Harris Pascoe.'

Ross handed the letter back. She was watching him closely, and he had to say something. `Extraordinary.'

`And what do you advise? I do not
know if we should
consider it'

`Consider it? We should accept the offer.'

`That surprises me too. I thou
ght you would fear interference
from an outsider.'

In other circumstances I should. But there
is
Pascoe's letter. And I have to tell you of a certain good fortune which has come to me recently.' He explained about the anonymous
loan
to himself. `I can only suppose the same person is trying to help'
you.
Some eccentric with' the, Poldark good at heart. He could not have come at a more opportune time.'

`Have you
any
idea who it might be?'

`None at all. But I trust Pascoe. I know he would' not betray us into any false position.'

The tightness of her waist emphasised the shape of her small breasts as she turned away from him. `I
-
this money would of course make all the difference.!

'We should be out of our minds not to take it
-
for Geoffrey Charles's sake. There's little prospect for the mine unless this newcomer will invest fresh money. He may have some such idea: If so it can only be to my benefit. I shall hope to meet him.' Ross thought he was coming through the interview rather imaginatively. But not without a curious feeling as if he were cheating Elizabeth instead of helping her at great cost, to himself. He had not told Demelza what he'd done, and he hoped it would be a long time before she found out.,
Elizabeth said : `You're su
re you feel this is right, Ross
-
for yourself, I mean? Perhaps you are pretending to like this because you believe it is best for us. I should dislike to think I was being false to our friendship.!

'You're not being false to anythin
g, Elizabeth, I mean what I say
. You should sell. It will enormously ease your position. I'm only grateful to you for hesitating, for your loyalty and for your interest all through'