Warleggan (21 page)

Vercoe said : `Well
sir, 'twill
be
safer to be off soon, for
it would never do to be seen moving
about
later on when the
tub-carrier
s are round.' 'Tis a long cold
time, I know.'

`It was a long cold, time last night,' said McNeil. `The colder
for being fruitless.
Your
informer is reliable, I suppose?'

`He has been times before. He. said he'd no, means of knowing
whether
the run would be last night,
tonight, or tomorrow.'

'With this latest news from London, I see no prospect, of
keeping my men longer than the end of the week
-
or of staying myself. So this is really the last chance. It would aggrieve me if this run took place elsewhere while
we were watching an empty
cove.'

Vercoe grunted and rubbed his beard. "Twould grieve me more. For upwards of thirty months I've been waiting for a chance such as this, to make a big haul: If all goes well tonight or tomorrow, the whole Trade in these parts may be stamped out for a generation. That's what
I'd want more than aught else
,'

McNeil looked at him interestedly, wondering what inner compulsions drove the man to make a crusade of his daily task. Then he shrugged his shoulders and rose. `So be it. Bell, ye've impressed on your men that they do not stir till they hear Mr. Vercoe's whistle?: We do not want the trap to go off half
cock.'

'Aye, aye, sir'

`I'll answer for my own men, of
course. And I've impressed upon
them there must be no unnecessary bloodshed. Don't forget these smugglers are our own countrymen, and very soon there will be plenty of
blood
to

let in another cause. The same dispositions as last night.'

`Aye, aye, sir.'

'Very well. We had heat be starting'

As the time for his, leaving drew near, Dwight grew more and more restless. For the twentieth time he looked at the clock.; It was half past nine. He had arranged to be at Kiliewarren at eleven. Ninety minutes to spend. There would be no possible excuse for starting for another forty-five minutes yet,

He rang for Bone, and when the young man came asked him a half dozen unnecessary questions and then dismissed him,
not knowing how often
before he had done the same thing. Nerves. Elopement nerves: At this moment what was Caroline doing? Would she
suffer, in the same
way? Not from the goads of a conscience never easy for four years, but perhaps from nerves of another kind. The strong control' she had of herself did not delude hurl into supposing, her anything but highly strung.

All today Dwight had been unable to, get the face of Keren Daniel out of his head. The interview wit
h Demelza, and knowing Ross was
meeting Mark,, had suddenly brought Keren to the forefront of his mind. This was only
a
change of position, he realised that now; she had never been faraway.

Sixteen minutes to ten. For Caroline he would willingly give up anything. The trouble was he was giving up nothing material; instead he was betterin
g himself. Self-flagellation
; Well, that was all right to a point, but be fond th
at point neurotic. In two hours
he would be in a coach with her. Would any of his friends deny him the right to happiness? He fancied
not one. In two hours he must
draw a curtain across his past life.

Bone had come into the room again. Had he hung once
more in his agitation?

`If you please,
sur, there's Parthesia Hoblyn; at the door. Says her sister's took queer. She: asked for you to go see her, but I said you was busy tonight.'

Dwight glanced at the cl
ock. Lottie Kempthorne quite re
covered. No other
cases
had followed,: and that little short of a miracle even May ha
d escaped. But Rosina How long
ago? Was it po
ssible? He counted. It was still
possible. He went through into the hall and found little Parthesia slumped in a chair getting her breath. Three miles from Sawle, and she hid probably run all the way, in the dark.

'W
hat is wrong with your sister
?’

Parthesia got up. `Oh, sur, 'tis her, knee? But an hour gone, sur, she was climbing the cobbles and it went just like it used to go, afore ever you c
ured it, only worse she d'say. Fathur
carr
ied, her indoors, sur, and she w
as that locked we could scarce bring her to a chair, sun. So Ma says, go ee to surgeon and see if he can right it.'

Four or five minutes to ten. Sixty-odd minutes yet. Sawle on the way, a mile or so out, bu
t that nothing on a horse. Time
enough to discharge a last duty
-
if he wanted to, and if he
could. He would greatly have
preferred not, In the last week
he had made a round of farewell visits, though no one else knew them
as such. This call if answered…..

But this call if not answered? Peace of mind on his journey my to Bath? The knee locked again. 'If his cure had been a temp
orary thing, it might mean . .
But his valise, packed and ready to go. He could not ride into Sawle with it.

"Wait here, be said to Parthesia, who had been watching him, and called Bone aside.

Bone knew everything that was planned. You could trust your, confidences to him.

`I'm going with the girl,' Dwight said. Put I can't take my bag or it will rouse comment. I want it at the gates of Killewarren by eleven o'clock. Can, you do that for me?'

'Aye, sur, I'll see for it.'

`It's som
e miles. Perhaps you can borrow
a horse:' 'Hatchard will lend me a pony if I say 'tis
for you. I'll go
straight over now.'

`Have a care at Killewarren. Don't let yourself be seen before I come.'

When Bone had gone, ' Dwight put on his cloak, his
hat, stared a
moment round the room, taking a last familiar look. Then he went out to join Parthesia; In
another way this call was not
unwelcome. It would pass the last dragging hour. The waiting was over.

Parthesia rode before him` Her added weight was
nothing. A little sprite of a
girl, thin of body and small of bone. It was a c
lear cold night, moonless, with
a freckle of stars misted by high herring
-
bone cloud; He wondered if Ross was home yet. The run was expected. Going about his work late this afternoon he had noticed one or two signs which, observed in innocence would have meant nothing, but, seen with an informed eye, meant business tonight. Near Sawle they passed t
wo men on horses who drew, well
off the track to allow them to pass. Dwight wished them good night, but neither replied. Their faces were hidden in thick mufflers.
He felt the little
girl, in
front of him
shiver as if she was afraid they were robbers. He was a little puzzled.

In the Hoblyns
cottage Jacka was waiting with an anxious scowl. Rosina was sitting on the edge;, of her chair, her face still white, though she said her leg was easier; In a breath she said she
’
d told them not to, fetch him tonight, that she'd
turned her leg, on one of the cobbles and it had all gone tight, that she'd thought to send up for Charlie till she recollected Charlie was ill, that Parthesia had gone of
f unbeknown to her, that it was leaving
off the bandages that had done it and she was sure by morning ...

Dwight put his fingers round her knee, feeling for the displacement he had found before, recognising it again, but
not
certain how he had set it r
ight. An experimental pressure
had done it, some knack which, had he been able to repeat it in other cases, he would have soon, perfected. But it was months now. His success had surprised him almost as much as it had anyone else, He as
ked
her
to

bend her knee,
but
at present she could not. The
joint or cartilage was right out of place. It, might need fomentation and some days of manipulation, But he was leaving tonight. This was the last chance. He pressed hard with his fingers,
and
felt her wince. .

'Did you say Charlie was ill?' he asked, talking to distract her attention. "What is the matter with him?'

`Oh, sur, you d'know that. 'Twas on account of you telling him to stay abed that he's not helping wi'
the run tonight.
He told me that only this morning.'

Suddenly Dwight's hands got in the right place. It
was. as

if some memory, clicked into place in his mind before anything clicked in the knee. Confidence and satisfaction. ' He moved his fingers, pressed. The girl cried out but, as once before, more from shock than from pain. The displacement was gone.

Dwight released her and straightened up. 'You have the bandage?' he said to Mrs. Hoblyn. -

'Yes, sur
.' She fled, squeezing past Jacka, who was standing in the doorway now.
'You can stand up; Dwight said.

Rosina flexed 'her knee carefully. Colour came and went in her face, and for a moment she looked as if she was going to
….

"Tis all right again, maid?' asked, Jacka
-
apprehensively, from the doorway.

She stood up. `Oh, sur, I'm that grateful. I was so afeared that 'twas gone for good. I can't thank ee enough! Tis like a miracle.'

With lessons to be learned. 'I
was overconfident,'
Dwight said. `I think you shoul
d wear a bandage always. Or for a year to begin, till the tendons knit together.'

Mrs' Hoblyn came scurrying back. Dwight bound the knee,

telling Mrs. H
oblyn to watch carefully. It would not do for this to happen again. He could not come one hundred and fifty miles even for Rosina. Time was getting on. It must be well after ten-thirty. Time to go. They could drive all night if necessary, or s
top after putting a comfortable
distance between themselves and Killewarren. Dr. Dwight Enys and Miss Caroline Penvenen, travelling as friends.

Jacka had brought out a
bottle of rum, slopped some into a cup, and was pressing it on him. Dwight did not want it, but he knew this expressed the height of Jacka's approval, so
he
sipped a little while they watched Rosina walking gingerly about the room. Dwight occupied
his last moment or two telling
Mrs. Hoblyn what she must do and what she must not do if it ever happened again: Mrs. Hoblyn didn't make things any better by saying with shining eyes : 'Why, sur; we should just make 'er sit quiet like till you came!'

Sometime
s a remark is like an insect's
sting which at first is scarcely felt but grows uncomfortable as time passes. Wha
t Rosina had said about Charlie
Kempthorne had at first been barely noticed by Dwight, and, his success with the displacement had swamped' it. Anxious now to be off, he was at the outer door pursued by their gratitude-before the poison began to work.

As Jacka followed him; out of the house, Dwight said 'What is this about Charlie being ill? Did he tell you he was
ill? Did he
say I told him he must not get up?'

`Ais. Leastways, be telled
them as wanted him h
elp with the run'

`I don't understand. What happened?'

Jacka peered at him. "Twasn't C
harlie's proper turn yelp with
the tub-carrying. They takes it turn an' turn about, ye know. 'Twas Trencrom's notion, to spread the risk
an'
to spread the reward. Men'll take a chance once in two months what th
ey'll not take every month. But
yesterday eve,
Joe
Trelask breaks
'is leg
at the mill. Falls down the ladder, they d'say---'

`Yes. I know that. Go on.'

`So Charlie Kempthorne were next on the list, an' they sent round last night f tell him to be ready. Then he says he's some slight, 'Tis the fever, he says, an' surgeon's told him he mustn't stir abroad on account of his lungs.' Jacka Hoblyn's
frown was such as to penetrate the darkness. 'Mean to say 'twas all make-believe?'

`So far as my part it goes.'

'Well, the scaly little cheat! What's he about to tell such
a stramming great story, 'tis hard to guess his
reasons,
`When is the wedding to be?'

`Tomorro
w two
weeks.'

`No doubt it was
on account of that, Jacka. He was anxious, to avoid the risk, perhaps anxious about his health too. It is a thing any man would do.'

Jacka grunted and ran a thumbnail up and down between '
his front teeth, 'Not any man
by a long sight, surgeon. Not you, I'll wager; not me. He's no right or title to lie about'n. I'll
tax him with it first thing in
the morning.'

'Let
it be,' said Dwight quietly. 'As you say, it is not our
concern. Good night, Jacka.

'Good night,' sur. And tha
nk ee.

'Dwight led his horse up the steep
hill, Jacka watching him go. Charlie Kempthorne's cottage was at the, top of the hill, just out of sight of the Hoblyns. Dwight stopped in front of it, stared up at the window. There was a light in the upper roo
m. Twenty minutes,
to eleven. He could be at Killewarren,
comfortably
in twenty minutes
-
if he started now. But he must start at once. Caroline would already be putting on her cloak, per
haps was now sitting waiting in
her bedroom ready to snuff out the candle and steal d
ownstairs. Bone would be at the
gates with his valise.

But this monstrous suspicion grown in
his mind was something; which
overrode his obligations to himself and to her.

If he had not
fancied the ride to Bath with the thought of Rosina lame again and unvisited, how much less could he face it with this problem unresolved. Five minutes would not make him late. In five minutes he could be sure.'