"Hello there," he called. "Where be to then?"
As he spoke he caressed the bird's head and I could see that he was far more aware of it than he was of me.
"I've brought some herbs for Hetty," I told him.
"Herbs for Hetty!" He laughed. He had high-pitched innocent laughter. "What 'er be wanting they for? To make her pretty?" His expression became bellicose. "Reckon our Hetty be pretty enough without." For a second his jaw was thrust forwards as though he were ready to attack me for suggesting she wasn't.
"It's for Hetty to say if she wants the herbs," I retorted sharply.
That innocent laughter rang out again. "Ay reckon so," he said. "Though Saul Cundy do think she be a rare fine 'un."
"I dare say."
"You might say she be spoke for," he went on almost shyly; and there was no mistaking his love for, and pride in, his sister.
"I hope they'll be happy."
"They'll be happy. Saul's a big fine man. Cap'en Saul ... they miners have to mind their manners, eh ... with Saul. If Saul do say go, they do go; and if Saul do say come, they do come. Mr. Fedder ain't no more important, I do reckon, than Cap'en Saul Cundy."
I was ready to let that point pass for I was anxious to deliver the herbs and be gone.
"Where is Hetty now?" I asked.
"Reckon her'll be in the kitchen with old Mother Pengallon."
I hesitated, wondering whether to give him the packet and ask him to take it to Hetty, but I decided against that.
"I'll go and find her," I said.
"I'll take 'ee to her," he promised and walked beside me. "Coop-coop, coooop, coop-coop," he murmured to the pigeon, and I was momentarily reminded of Joe, lying on the talfat mending a pigeon's leg. I noticed how big his hands were, and how gently they held the bird.
He led me to the back of the farmhouse and directed my gaze to the ridge tile which served as a decoration. There was a ladder propped up against the wall; he was doing a job on the farmhouse.
"Some of they tiles loose," he said confirming this. "Twould never do. What if the Little People came a-footing it at midnight."
Again that high-pitched laughter which was beginning to irritate me. So much so that I wished Reuben would go.
I knew he was referring to what we called the piskey-pow—that ridge tile on which the piskeys were supposed to come and dance after midnight. If it was in a bad state of repair it was said this angered them and the piskeys' anger could bring bad luck on a house. It was natural, I suppose, that one who was said to be piskey-mazed should believe these legends.
"Tis all right now," said Reuben. "I see to that. Then I thought I'd take a look at my little birds."
He led me through a stone-floored washhouse into a flagged passage, where he threw open a door to show me an enormous kitchen with two large windows, an open fireplace as well as the cloam oven, red tiles, and huge refectory table; on the oak beams hung a ham, sides of bacon and bundles of herbs.
Seated at this table, peeling potatoes, was Mrs. Pengallon, who had been cook-housekeeper at the farm since the death of Mrs. Pengaster, a large comfortable-looking woman who at the moment seemed unusually melancholy. Hetty was in the kitchen, ironing a blouse.
"Well," said Hetty as we entered, 'l^less me if it ain't Kerensa Carlee. My dear life, we be honored. Come in. That's if you hain't too grand for the likes of we."
"Get along with 'ee," put in Mrs. Pengallon. "Tis only Kerensa Carlee. Come in, m'dear, and tell me if you've seen my Tabs about."
"You've lost your cat then, Mrs. Pengallon?" I asked, ignoring Hetty.
"These last two days, m'dear. Tis so unlike him. Out all day he's been before now, but always home come suppertime ... always purring for his saucer of milk."
"I'm sorry. I haven't seen him."
"I'm worrit like, wondering what can have become of him. I can't but think he be caught in some trap like. Tis a terrible thing to have happened, m'dear, and I can't get it out of my mind. I've been wondering whether to come along to see your Granny. Maybe she could tell me something. She have done wonders like for Mrs. Toms. Her breathing be that much better and all her did was as your Granny said—took the webs of spiders, rolled 'em into a ball and swallowed 'em. Magic, I do reckon it to be and your Granny's a wonderful woman."
"Yes," I agreed, "she's a wonderful woman."
"And you tell her when you next see her that I've had no more trouble with that stye on my eye since I rubbed Tabs' tail on it as she did say. Oh, my poor little Tabs! Where he be to, I can't think; and it's no rest for me till he be found."
"Perhaps he's being fed somewhere else, Mrs. Pengallon," I suggested.
"I don't think so, m'dear. He knows his own home. He'd never stay away so long. Regular home lover, that's my Tabs. Oh my dear life, if he'd only come back to me!"
"I'll keep my eyes open," I told her.
"And ask your Granny if she can help me."
"Well, Mrs. Pengallon, I'm not going back there just now."
"Oh no," put in Hetty maliciously. "You be working up at the Abbas now, along of Doll and Daisy. Doll's pretty near courting our Tom, so she tells us all about it. My dear life, I wouldn't care to work for that family."
"I don't think it likely that you'll have the opportunity," I retorted.
Reuben, who had been standing watching us closely as we talked, joined in Hetty's laughter.
I said coldly: "I came to bring your herbs."
Hetty seized on them and thrust them into the pocket of her gown, and I turned to go.
"And don't 'ee forget to ask your Granny," said Mrs. Pengallon. "I don't rest o' nights wondering what have happened to my Tabs."
It was then that I intercepted the look between Hetty and Reuben. I was startled because it seemed to me ... evil. They were sharing some secret, and I fancied that while it was amusing to them it would not be so to others.
I had a great desire then to get out of the Pengaster kitchen.
I was too immersed in my own affairs to notice what was happening to Mellyora. I would often hear raised voices in the rooms near my own and I guessed that Judith was upbraiding her husband for some supposed negligence; these scenes were becoming a little monotonous and although I did not dislike my mistress, my sympathy—if my feeling went deep enough to be given such a description—was for Justin, even though he scarcely ever addressed me, and the only time he seemed conscious of my presence was when Judith embarrassed him by her excessive shows of affection. I did not believe he cared greatly for his wife and I could well imagine how tiresome it must be to have someone continually demanding affection.
Still, it was a state of affairs which I accepted and did not notice the rising tension, nor the effect it was having on the three people concerned: Justin, Judith and ... Mellyora. Being so self-centered, I forgot temporarily that Mellyora's life could take as dramatic a turn as my own.
Two things happened which seemed of great importance.
The first was my casual discovery of what had happened to Mrs. Pen-gallon's cat. It was Doll who betrayed the information. She asked me if Granny would make some complexion herbs for her like those she had given Hetty Pengaster. I said that I knew what they were and next time I went to see Granny I would bring some for her, and happened to mention that when I delivered Hetty's, Mrs. Pengallon was worried about her cat.