of them. The silence was shattered by a single blow of the hammer, and the pin fell to the floor. Drake began to lever off the wheel.
'Morwenna is wed,' said Sam.
'That I d' know all too well.'
'And is a vicar's wife and has a child of her own...'
'And is in hell.'
'Drake, ye cannot know this.'
'I know this. Would ye, then, brother, counsel me to find my own heaven and leave her in hell?'
'Ye can do no other. It is grieving, Drake, over what cann't be undone. You are bespoiling your life, grieving, grieving, grieving — ’
'Oh,' said Drake. 'Sometimes I forget.' He put the wheel down and sighed. 'Tis shameful to me now how oft I forget. No ache, no misery lasts for ever. But to take another woman. That would be more shameful still, and twould not be fair on Rosina. I could never bring to her a full heart.'
'Perhaps you would - in time,'
'And in the meantime what do I say to she? That I would wed her for convenience, that I need someone to keep my home and breed my children? Is that what I should say?'
Sam bent to re-tie his boot. 'Perhaps I shouldn't've spoke. Perhaps twas better not to have asked. But I have a concern for ee, brother, and I want the scales to fall from your eyes, the gall of bitterness to be eased and sweetened. For if Christ wills, ye have a long life to live.'
As Drake passed by he touched h is brother's shoulder, 'Leave me be yet a littl e, Sam. If I have a long life to live, then leave me be a little yet.'
It was one of the few fine days of a second damp month of summer, and old Pally Rogers, his spade beard grizzled in the wind and the sun, rattled down the hill in his cart, raising a hand of greeting as he passed by.
Drake said: 'It seem me many folk d'live their lives without any of the trouble that come to we. What of yourself, Sam? You have all this concern for my misfortune, but what of your own?'
'My own?'
'Well, what of Emma Tregirls? Now she 've left the Choakes and gone Te hidy - miles away. Are you not just the same as me?'
Sam nodded. 'Yes, brother. We both have a soreness of the heart. But mine is balme d by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Nightly I pray for Emma. Nightly I pray that she may see and discover the bond of iniquity by which she is enslaved. If that d'happen, then there shall be double rejoicing; rejoicing for a spirit which has obtained an interest in the blood of Christ, and rejoicing that so splendid a human being, while changed from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord, shall also come to me as my wife, and that we shall cleave and be as one flesh and discover together the liberty of p erfect love, carnal and eternal’
It was Drake's turn to look at his brother, the tall fairhaired man with the lined young face, the kind, intent blue eyes, the shambling walk. Sometimes, Drake thought, Sam's sentiments came out just a little too smooth as if from a sermon he'd prepared. But he knew this not to be so: if the words came a bit too easy, this was from constant teaching of the Bible to his classes; Sam spoke them from the deepest convictions of his heart.
'And you're happy 'bout that, 'bout leaving Emma go?'
'I have faith,' said Sam.
'Faith that she'll come back?'
A shadow crossed Sam's face. 'I didn't leave her go. She went and I could not stay her. I would have wed her whether or no but she wouldn't come to mc, she said, unsaved and she wouldn't - or couldn't - find salvation. I have faith that Jesus will order my life - and hers -in such a way as may be best to further His will,'
Jack Trewinnard came skidding into the yard with a bucket in one hand and a hoe in the other. When he saw Drake had company he hastily wiped his nose on his sleeve and went out through to the stable,
Drake said: 'Well, brother, I reckon there is little to be said on cither side, is there. I know Demelza feels as you do about Rosina, for twas she in the first place who contrived that we should meet. Rosina, I grant you, is a goodly person, neat and clean and of a nice
'Morwenna is wed,' said Sam.
'That I d' know all too well.'
'And is a vicar's wife and has a child of her own...'
'And is in hell.'
'Drake, ye cannot know this.'
'I know this. Would ye, then, brother, counsel me to find my own heaven and leave her in hell?'
'Ye can do no other. It is grieving, Drake, over what cann't be undone. You are bespoiling your life, grieving, grieving, grieving — ’
'Oh,' said Drake. 'Sometimes I forget.' He put the wheel down and sighed. 'Tis shameful to me now how oft I forget. No ache, no misery lasts for ever. But to take another woman. That would be more shameful still, and twould not be fair on Rosina. I could never bring to her a full heart.'
'Perhaps you would - in time,'
'And in the meantime what do I say to she? That I would wed her for convenience, that I need someone to keep my home and breed my children? Is that what I should say?'
Sam bent to re-tie his boot. 'Perhaps I shouldn't've spoke. Perhaps twas better not to have asked. But I have a concern for ee, brother, and I want the scales to fall from your eyes, the gall of bitterness to be eased and sweetened. For if Christ wills, ye have a long life to live.'
As Drake passed by he touched h is brother's shoulder, 'Leave me be yet a littl e, Sam. If I have a long life to live, then leave me be a little yet.'
It was one of the few fine days of a second damp month of summer, and old Pally Rogers, his spade beard grizzled in the wind and the sun, rattled down the hill in his cart, raising a hand of greeting as he passed by.
Drake said: 'It seem me many folk d'live their lives without any of the trouble that come to we. What of yourself, Sam? You have all this concern for my misfortune, but what of your own?'
'My own?'
'Well, what of Emma Tregirls? Now she 've left the Choakes and gone Te hidy - miles away. Are you not just the same as me?'
Sam nodded. 'Yes, brother. We both have a soreness of the heart. But mine is balme d by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Nightly I pray for Emma. Nightly I pray that she may see and discover the bond of iniquity by which she is enslaved. If that d'happen, then there shall be double rejoicing; rejoicing for a spirit which has obtained an interest in the blood of Christ, and rejoicing that so splendid a human being, while changed from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord, shall also come to me as my wife, and that we shall cleave and be as one flesh and discover together the liberty of p erfect love, carnal and eternal’
It was Drake's turn to look at his brother, the tall fairhaired man with the lined young face, the kind, intent blue eyes, the shambling walk. Sometimes, Drake thought, Sam's sentiments came out just a little too smooth as if from a sermon he'd prepared. But he knew this not to be so: if the words came a bit too easy, this was from constant teaching of the Bible to his classes; Sam spoke them from the deepest convictions of his heart.
'And you're happy 'bout that, 'bout leaving Emma go?'
'I have faith,' said Sam.
'Faith that she'll come back?'
A shadow crossed Sam's face. 'I didn't leave her go. She went and I could not stay her. I would have wed her whether or no but she wouldn't come to mc, she said, unsaved and she wouldn't - or couldn't - find salvation. I have faith that Jesus will order my life - and hers -in such a way as may be best to further His will,'
Jack Trewinnard came skidding into the yard with a bucket in one hand and a hoe in the other. When he saw Drake had company he hastily wiped his nose on his sleeve and went out through to the stable,
Drake said: 'Well, brother, I reckon there is little to be said on cither side, is there. I know Demelza feels as you do about Rosina, for twas she in the first place who contrived that we should meet. Rosina, I grant you, is a goodly person, neat and clean and of a nice
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