Mrs. Poldark was about five minutes, and she looked flushed when she came in.
"I'm sure this is an ill-chosen time, ma'am,' he said. 'I was passing and thought to avail myself of your kindness.
'No, not at all. But Ross, I'm sorry to say, isn't here. He's
over to the mine.. I'll send Gimlett to fetch him.'
McNeil vigorously-protested, and she allowed herself to be persuaded, knowing that Ross was likely; to be deep in some work
-
probably fathoms deep
-
and would not want interruption. McNeil sat down and fastened his moustache more firmly in and let the kitten slide on to the shabby rug.
Being a Scotsman and a widely travelled one, he had no
t
been much impressed by the women in these parts on his last visit. But there had been three good-lookers at the party the
other evening, and this Mrs.
Poldark was the one with that little something more than looks which teased his curiosity. He fancied he knew potentialities when he saw them; and a spark was seldom long absent from this young woman's fine eyes. It was like the glint of a soldier's sabre at night.
He said : `You have heard the latest war news, perhaps?'
War news? I didn't know we were at war.'
He smiled. 'Nor are we, ma'am. I mean the French war with the Austrians. The information has just come
through.'
'Is it good or
bad?'
'Oh, good. Without question. The French broke into Belgium like a rabble, it's said, expecting no doubt to make men run at, the sight of their unshaven
faces
; but when, they met the Austrians, one disciplined charge was enough; the whole
French army tu
rned and ran from t
he battlefield. And when their
own officers:: their own generals
tried to stop them, they murdered them, stabbing them with bayonets!''
'And
what does that mean? That France is defeated already? Have they other armies?'
'None in the field.
So much for your revolutionaries. It's strange how nairvous people have been at the thought of these cut-throats let loose. Folk forget that when a country throws away its discipline it throws away its strength. I trust this will be a lesson to the noisy windbags in Paris.' He paused and. stretched a booted leg and twisted his
moustache. 'Though for myself
..'
Demelza waited. ''What for yourself, Captain McNeil?' 'Well, I confess I should not have been discontented to have
a
tilt at them some way, or another. I should not be wishing Britain into war, ye understand, but for a soldier a small bout of fighting now and then restores his self-respect'
'I shouldn't have thought
'twould be likely
you
would
lose that.'
'No, ma'am. But
in times of peace one is sent on-one- is liable to' be called, upon for distasteful and rather shabby missions which .' McNeil stopped and withdrew his leg and looked at Demelza. Demelza looked at him, without a flicker of a cha
nge of expression. He swallowed
and said 'I'm s
orry. I thought I heard a baby
crying.'
She got up and went quickly to the window, 'peered out. 'No.
I can see him. He's still asleep.'
'Perhaps it's your little girl. Though by now I suppose she will be-'
'She died, Captain McNeil, More than two years ago:'
'Oh . . `' He got up. `Forgive me, ma'am. , I'm sorry.'
Demelza came back. 'It's nothing to forgive. You were not to know.' She stood by the table for a moment, fairly close to him. 'Pray sit down.'
'It must
have been a gri
evous blow. You will feel a gap in your life..’
'It is hard to explain, for 'tis more than a gap. Or it has been with us, There is a change. Nothing hasn't been the same since. Those who are left are different people trying to live the same lives.'
McNeil stood looking at her. He cursed himself for having
got the conversation on the wrong leg. Yet in what she said he detected an alloy of something besides sadness. She did not look in the least a discontented woman, but all clearly was not well between her and l
ife. It might be a circumstance
worth exploring.
Ross was not, as Demelza not unreasonably supposed, fathoms deep; he was in, conference with Francis and Captain Henshawe in the changing shed near the mine. The two young engineers, Bull and Trevithick, who had built the engine, had been over to correct a minor fault, and
Ross had taken the opportunity
of sounding them on the potentialities of thei
r child, It seemed plain to him
, and they confirmed
it, that the engine was capable
of a good deal more than was at present demanded; and he proposed
that the main shaft
should be sunk another twenty
fathoms so that two new levels could be begun. This meant engaging more men; but as he, pointed out to Henshawe and Francis, the prospect of profit was increased out of proportion to the expense. The great expense was the engine. While it worked, let it do the maximum.
Francis the gambler was all for it, Henshawe
more cautious; but inevitably,
as the chief partners, the cousins had their way. Henshawe's interest was nominal, and in any case he was not an obstructive man. He knew Ross's overriding need of quick results. Nor did he comment, as he might have done, that in his wide experience of mines in this district he had seldom known the copper lodes to improve with depth, as was often the case further west. Nothing was so unpredictable as a mine -
one reason why they were always feminine
-
and he was not prepared to take the responsibility of standing in the way of Ross's instinct.
After the meeting Ross walked home alone, content that the effort was to be made but content with nothing else.
Elizabeth's confession at the party had had an unexpected effect on him.' Behind the strong and sometimes lawless impulses that moved him from time to time was a
bitterly clear-minded
critic, who saw his own acts, usually after he had performed them, with great detachment Sometimes, though not very often, this critic turned on others. It did so now on Elizabeth. She wasn't at all less attractive to him
-
much the reverse. But he found himself liking her less. Her single mistake had distorted all their lives, pulling them out of their natural pattern. Then, having picked the wrong man,
she had let him
know it, and he, deprived of her love but not of his need for her, had run the conversational course downhill watched and blamed by Ross who thought he had all he could desire. Their lives had been the tragedy of one woman who couldn't make up her mind.
Far better now if he had never known. The knowledge served no purpose but to destroy what was left of his peace of. mind. The result of all this, contrariwise, had been a new warmth in his feelings for Demelza. He wouldn't have been able to explain why, unless it was that he felt Demelza incapable of any such behaviour.
When he got to his own front door he heard a man's voice and surprised the coattails of Malcolm McNeil
, who was, just taking his leave.
Demelza smiled over her, visitor's shoulder. `Oh, Ross, I was afraid you was underground, or I should have sent for you. Captain McNeil has, been entertaining me with stories of the American
W
ar. I wonder you Never speak
of
it yourself.'
McNeil said: `Captain Poldark is more modest, I've no doubt. The latest news suggests we shall not need him again, just yet'
'Oh, you've heard it?' said Ross in slight disa
ppointment. 'My cousin has just
told me. It may of course be exaggerated.'
'From what I
gather, the road to Paris is open
- The
sooner the city is occupied the better.'
'No doubt you're; right. I confess I still have a sneaking sympathy for the republicans
-
if only they would behave like reasonable men and not like apes. If I were a Parisian, I should
not want to open the gates
to Francis of Austria.'
McNeil said: `By, the way, did ye hear more of the man who killed his wife when I was last here, and escaped from your cove?'
'Mark Daniel? No. I expect he was drowned. The dinghy he stole from us was barely seaworthy.'
`Indeed, so?' McNeil looked at Ross with an unbelieving eye. `Well, I'll be on my way. I'm returning to Salisbury in a few days' time, but I doubt I shall be down again before long. It is a, fascinating part.'
This last remark he
seemed to address to Demelza. She said `I hope you'll take back a good report of our behaviour this time'
McNeil said: `How could I do otherwise, ma'am?'
Ross watched the Scotsman's broad-shouldered figure walking
briskly up the valley.
'He is a thought less impressive out of his soldier's clothes.
I hope he did not come here because he suspects us of being concerned in the tub-carrying.' `Oh, no, he invited himself to call when we met last week.
He is here only for his health this time. He
has no interest in smuggling a
t all.'
`Did he tell you so?'
`Yes ... Yes, he did! 'H'm,' said Ross.
Demelza's indignation grew with her
alarm. `I don't see that there
is any reason to suspect him at all
`Only that that was his business last time, and Cornwall i
s a long way to come just for
convalescence.' 'I'm certain sure you're wrong.'
`You were careful what you said, I suppose?'
`Of course! You should know I am more frightened of discovery than you, are,'
Ross said,
musingly: `I think I
shall ride over and
see
Tremcrom tomorrow.'
'Why? He promised there was to be no more landing in our cove until
September
!
’
'No, nor shall there be. I want to locate Mark Daniel'
`I should
not suppose it safe for him to come back.!
'No. But he was in Cherbourg last Christmas. You know why we opened Wheal Grace. It was part on account of the old maps, part on account of what Mark told us when he hid in the old workings before we helped him to escape. Well, we have spent months trying to find out what he found. Why should we not get him to help us? In a few more months it will be too late.!
’
'I'd rather Mark came than you went, Ross. Up till now you've taken no real part in the Trade.!
’
'Well,, the first thing is to' see if he can be found'
`No, Ross, that isn't the first
thing.'
`All right, I'll not go
if it can be
avoided.'
Mr. Trencrom lived in an unpretentious six-roomed house tucked away as if not to be seen behind a sharp cleft in the hillside half a mile from the village of St. Ann's. Although it was known that he was a very rich man, no e
vidence
of wealth were allowed to appear in his house or in the clothes he wore, and there was plenty of speculation as to where he kept
his money
and what he did with it. Nothing suggested the miser in the size of his body or the warmth of his welcome when Ross called the
next evening
and Ross came straight to the point, explaining the inquir
ies he would like put in hand.
`Mark Daniel,' said Mr. Trencrom, squeezing his small voice out of his large chest. `Let's see, that was the one that killed his wife, wasn't it? On account of her going with that Dr. Enys, Remember well. Quite a fuss.
'Twould be dangerous still, I conceive
for him to come
back t
o England. Have your asked any of my men?''
'No. I came first to you!
’
Mr. Trencrom acknowledged the courtesy, 'Might deliver a letter. But
Daniel
can't read, eh? I'll, ask Nanfan or Paynter to inquire. Nanfan's best
because he's a relative. I'll
do that, Captain; Poldark. Nights are too light just at present.
Can have too much of a full moon, eh?' He coughed, a weak consumptive paroxysm, as if someone had sat on a rusty spring in his sofa. 'There's trouble about. That man, Vercoe. And that military fellow up at the Place. Shall be glad to see the back of him. There's more in it
-
than meets. the, eye. And look at France. Chaos, I should not fancy to
b
e Mark Daniel. Living there these days.'