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ready by the time Gees got there. Also pickled onions, Dorset butter, and
cheese the best he could do.
Quite good enough, Gees told him, and with that he went out. Later, following
him down the stairs, Gees opened the indicated door to face an
attractive-looking girl in her twenties, who, evidently, had been just about
to emerge. As he stood back to make way for her, she too stood back in a sort
of confused hesitancy, as if she had been caught where she ought not to be,
and he had time to take in her ensemble, as he would have put it. The green
rayon blouse clashed with the beige skirt. The skirt was none too long, and
revealed shapely legs, and her shoes were dainty and high-heeled. She was
blond, but needed another visit to her hairdresser, for the roots of her hair
were obviously darkening. Her eyes were palish blue, and too closely set,
while she had slightly overdone her makeup. Yet there was a certain
attractiveness about her, especially in her nervous embarrassment. She had
tried to make the best of herself, and had failed through lack of taste and
colour sense. Had she tried less, she would not have failed so badly.
Gees said, Sorry, and held the door for her. She passed him with I ve put
your supper on the table, sir, and in the one sentence betrayed Cockney
origin. Then she escaped, her heels clicking on the oilcloth, and Gees went to
the table and uncovered his meal. The ham had been generously cut, and there
were four eggs.
Seating himself, Gees began business, reflecting the while over the girl, over
the laugh in the bar, his determination to see Naylor again before leaving
this place, and equally strong determination not to see any more of Ira
Warenn. She might be interesting was interesting, in fact but he felt sure she
would prove dangerous, and so resolved to avoid her. He was a little afraid of
her, in fact.
Taking the second pair of eggs on to his plate after disposing of the first
two, he realized that something was missing, and, espying a hand-bell on the
table, took it up, and rang it vigorously. Almost as if he had been waiting
for the summons, Todd appeared.
I hope everything is all right, sir, he asked, before Gees could speak and
he looked at the empty dish and refilled plate.
Nearly too good to be true, Gees told him, but the odd spot of fluid would
come in handy. From the barrel. A pint, I think.
Right away, sir. I can get tea, if you d like it.
From the barrel, Todd, Gees repeated gently, and Todd went out.
To return with one of the glass tankards, and a napkin over his arm with which
he wiped the base of the vessel before setting it down. By that time, Gees had
pushed his plate aside and reached for the cheese and Todd moved the jar of
pickled onions to handiness for him.
"You can see stark evil walking the earth today..."
After which, he observed, I shall be in a fit state to breathe on my
friends. You ve been here quite
a while, Todd.
And still they reckon me a furriner, sir. Always will.
How on earth did you find the place?
Twas the missus s doin , sir. She was a downland girl when I married her,
an alius hankered for the downs. Didn t bother about the loneliness it is
lonely when winter sets in, too so I took this when I
heard it was goin . I useter hanker for the towns an lights at first, but
by-an -bye I got used to it there s a sort of drawin power about the downs.
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They they get you.
I understand, Gees said. And a free house, too.
That is so. Not much of a trade, but I was in a tied house before, an
there s something about a free house so when the missus died five year an
more ago, it was I felt I didn t wanter go. An here I
am here I ll most likely finish, too.
A lone widower. Gees remembered the girl with the high heels. Any
children if I m not asking too much?
No, sir, you ain t. An we had only a baby that died before it was a month
old. No, a lone widower, as you say.
Umm! Gees commented reflectively, while he thought, but did not say Not so
very lone, as he remembered that would-be entrancing vision which he had
passed on the way to the dining room.
That was rather an unpleasant little dust-up in the bar, he said. The
man Carphin, wasn t it?
That s the name, sir.
Used to work where Ephraim Knapper works now, I understand? Gees suggested,
and made a half question of it.
That s so, sir. He was theer i the owd man s time, Mister Wren that had the
farm till he died. It was
Miss Wren got rid o Fred i the finish. He was well, it ain t for me to say,
but she turned en out sharp one day, an the hens seemed to lay better ever
since.
Maybe he wasn t sympathetic enough to the hens, Gees observed. Anyhow, it s
your confidence, Todd, and it stays in this room. And you heard that laugh, I
noticed. Both times, eh? Todd nodded.
If it was, he said, I dunno. Queer, it was.
The first time it happened? Gees asked. Or have you
No, sir never before. Look like Fred d heard it, by what he said. Maybe it
was her up to tricks. Though why it beats me.
She gets up to tricks, then? Gees inquired, leading the man on.
I wouldn t say that, sir, Todd answered honestly enough, as Gees could see.
Folk hereabout say since her father died she s got inter queer ways, but it
don t take much to make Sam Thatcher s sort say all sortser things about
anyone. All I know is Squire Naylor d about give his ears to get her outer the
farm, an can t. Things get about, y know, sir.
Fred s daughter Nettie she s parlourmaid up at the Hall, an a right smart
bit o goods, too she ll tell her mother things, the mother ll tell Fred,
Fred ll get a drop too much, like to-night, an then well,
things get about. So ain t lettin out no secrets. Squire Naylor s scared of
her, an that s a fact.
Why? Gees asked, reflecting the while that Fred Carphin s tongue was not
more loosely swivelled if as much so than that of the man before him. What is
there to be scared about?
Todd shook his head doubtfully. She she ain t ordinary, he said. The way
she ll handle animals there was never anything like it, as I know. Why four
year ago, it d be Abram Timms had a bull. Timms farm jines on to Wren s, you
must know, sir. That bull was a killer, if ever there was one they shot it at
the finish, an nobody in all Troyarbour dast go in the medder where it was,
long afore it was shot. But she went! Wanted to cross that medder one day to
go to Timms , an the bull come at her, tail up an head down. Timms seen it,
an knew she hadn t a hope on earth she was a good as dead. An she stopped
an faced the bull, an it pulled up a score of yards away from her, lookin
all dazy, sorter Timms ll tell you the tale any day. She went up to the
bull maybe she spoke to it nobody don t know what she did.
But the finish was she laid her hand on the bull s neck, an it walked
alongside her till they got to the gate, an then she come out as cool an
cheerful as if she d been pettin a turtle dove. That for one thing, an it
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