go "Oohh!"'
'There's naught t'wonder at in that, maid… 'Osses, I always d'say, is not for ridin' whether saddled or bare-ridged, side-sat or ascrode. Have 'em hitched to a cart an' that's different. But then a ox do do as well, an' twice as peaceable. Only onct 'ave I bin on a 'oss an' that were when Jud brought me from Bedruthan nigh on sixteen year ago. Twere an irkish kind of a journey, up 'ill an' down dell, wi' no rest neither for flesh nor bone. That night I smeared axle grease all over me what's-it, an' none too soon for taking care, else the skin would've bursten, I bla'. I tell ee what I'll do for ee. When you've took yer clothes off I'll come rub ee over them parts wi' some balsam I got at Marasanvose Fair, an?'
'I'll be well enough,' said Demelza. 'Leave me be. I'll sleep on my face tonight.'
'Well, that's as you d'please. I came to tell ee that Mark Daniel's outside by the kitchen door besting whether to come in and see you or no.'
Demelza sat up and winced. 'Mark Daniel? What does he want with me?'
'Nothin' by rights. He come first at noon. They're from home, I says, an'll not be back, she afore supper, I says, an' he afore cockshut tomorrow, I says. Oh, he says, an' goes off an' comes back and says what time time did ye say Mistress Poldark would be back, he says, an' I says supper tonight, I says, an' off he d'go wi' his long legs stalking.'
'Has he asked for me tonight?'
'Aye, and I telled him you was suppin' an' not to be disturbed by the likes of he. Gracious knows, there's enough fuss one way and the next without all the bal-men in district callin' round to pass the time o' day.'
'He must want more than that,' Demelza said, and yawned. She straightened her frock and patted her hair. 'You'd best show him in.'
She felt lonely and important tonight. The last time Ross had ridden to Bodmin she had had Verity to stay.
Mark came in twisting his cap. In the parlour he looked enormous.
'Oh, Mark,' she said, 'did you want to see Ross? He's from home and is lying tonight at Bodmin. Was it important or shall you wait until tomorrow?'
He looked younger too in the evening light and without his cap, his head bent for fear of the ceiling beams.
'I wish twas easier to explain, Mistress Poldark. I did ought to have called in to Cap'n Ross yesterday, but twasn't quite decided then, an' I didn't fancy to tell my chickens afore they was bealed. An' now - an' now there's the need to hurry, because…'
Demelza rose, careful to avoid grimaces, and went to the window. It would not be dark yet for an hour, but the sun was winking out behind the western rim of the valley and shadows were deepening among the trees. She knew that Mark was a special friend of Ross's, second only to Zacky Martin in his confidences, and she was a little flustered at his call.
He was waiting for her to speak and watching her. 'Why don't you sit down, Mark, an' tell me what it is that's troubling you?'
Presently she looked round and saw that he was still standing. 'Well, what is it?' she said.
His long dark face twitched once. 'Mistress Poldark, I have the thought to be married.'
She gave a little relieved smile.
'Well, I'm glad, Mark. But why should that be worrying you?' As he did not speak she went on: 'Who have you the mind for?'
'Keren Smith,' he said.
'Keren Smith?'
'The maid that came wi' the travelling players, mistress. The dark one wi' the - wi' the long hair and the smooth skin.'
Demelza's mind went back. 'Oh,' she said. 'I know.' She did not like to sound unpleased. 'But what do she say to it? Are they still hereabouts?'
They were still hereabouts. Standing by the door, grim and quiet, Mark told his story. And much that he did not say could be guessed. Almost every night since their first meeting he had followed the players round, watching Keren, meeting her afterwards, trying to persuade her of his sincerity and his love. At first she had laughed at him, but something in his great size and the money he pressed on her
'There's naught t'wonder at in that, maid… 'Osses, I always d'say, is not for ridin' whether saddled or bare-ridged, side-sat or ascrode. Have 'em hitched to a cart an' that's different. But then a ox do do as well, an' twice as peaceable. Only onct 'ave I bin on a 'oss an' that were when Jud brought me from Bedruthan nigh on sixteen year ago. Twere an irkish kind of a journey, up 'ill an' down dell, wi' no rest neither for flesh nor bone. That night I smeared axle grease all over me what's-it, an' none too soon for taking care, else the skin would've bursten, I bla'. I tell ee what I'll do for ee. When you've took yer clothes off I'll come rub ee over them parts wi' some balsam I got at Marasanvose Fair, an?'
'I'll be well enough,' said Demelza. 'Leave me be. I'll sleep on my face tonight.'
'Well, that's as you d'please. I came to tell ee that Mark Daniel's outside by the kitchen door besting whether to come in and see you or no.'
Demelza sat up and winced. 'Mark Daniel? What does he want with me?'
'Nothin' by rights. He come first at noon. They're from home, I says, an'll not be back, she afore supper, I says, an' he afore cockshut tomorrow, I says. Oh, he says, an' goes off an' comes back and says what time time did ye say Mistress Poldark would be back, he says, an' I says supper tonight, I says, an' off he d'go wi' his long legs stalking.'
'Has he asked for me tonight?'
'Aye, and I telled him you was suppin' an' not to be disturbed by the likes of he. Gracious knows, there's enough fuss one way and the next without all the bal-men in district callin' round to pass the time o' day.'
'He must want more than that,' Demelza said, and yawned. She straightened her frock and patted her hair. 'You'd best show him in.'
She felt lonely and important tonight. The last time Ross had ridden to Bodmin she had had Verity to stay.
Mark came in twisting his cap. In the parlour he looked enormous.
'Oh, Mark,' she said, 'did you want to see Ross? He's from home and is lying tonight at Bodmin. Was it important or shall you wait until tomorrow?'
He looked younger too in the evening light and without his cap, his head bent for fear of the ceiling beams.
'I wish twas easier to explain, Mistress Poldark. I did ought to have called in to Cap'n Ross yesterday, but twasn't quite decided then, an' I didn't fancy to tell my chickens afore they was bealed. An' now - an' now there's the need to hurry, because…'
Demelza rose, careful to avoid grimaces, and went to the window. It would not be dark yet for an hour, but the sun was winking out behind the western rim of the valley and shadows were deepening among the trees. She knew that Mark was a special friend of Ross's, second only to Zacky Martin in his confidences, and she was a little flustered at his call.
He was waiting for her to speak and watching her. 'Why don't you sit down, Mark, an' tell me what it is that's troubling you?'
Presently she looked round and saw that he was still standing. 'Well, what is it?' she said.
His long dark face twitched once. 'Mistress Poldark, I have the thought to be married.'
She gave a little relieved smile.
'Well, I'm glad, Mark. But why should that be worrying you?' As he did not speak she went on: 'Who have you the mind for?'
'Keren Smith,' he said.
'Keren Smith?'
'The maid that came wi' the travelling players, mistress. The dark one wi' the - wi' the long hair and the smooth skin.'
Demelza's mind went back. 'Oh,' she said. 'I know.' She did not like to sound unpleased. 'But what do she say to it? Are they still hereabouts?'
They were still hereabouts. Standing by the door, grim and quiet, Mark told his story. And much that he did not say could be guessed. Almost every night since their first meeting he had followed the players round, watching Keren, meeting her afterwards, trying to persuade her of his sincerity and his love. At first she had laughed at him, but something in his great size and the money he pressed on her
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