maniac! You bloody
maniac you! You interferin' numskull! You'll
swing, you'll swing! An' for what? "Cos he
wanted his son broke in. 'Twasn't him. He
got what he wanted from me, you all knew that.
Aye by God! an" you've let me know it an'
all over the years." She stopped her shaking and
thrust him against the wall where he leaned looking at
her like a frightened child, all his aggressiveness gone, no vestige of the bumptious youth left.
Big Polly now turned and looked at her
daughter. The saliva was dripping from one corner of
her mouth, her tongue lolling in the open gap, and she
gasped as she said, "It . , . it was for young master there you had to go down, not the boss, I ... I
didn't tell you "cos . . . well, oh my
God!" She put her hand to her head and rocked herself back and forward. "What's come upon us this day? As if I hadn't had enough all me life. But now murder.
Oh my God!" She turned to Charlie, and as if
she were talking about some animal on the farm she said to him simply,, "He wanted you broken in, and he
picked on Polly here. I ... I
didn't tell her what she had to go down to the
cottage for till the last minute, I ... I
couldn't bring meself to. And now . , . now-was
She put her arms under her flagging breasts and,
turning from him, began to walk round the small room,
her pace quickening to almost a run.
All this time Charlie hadn't once looked at
Polly, he had kept his eyes fixed on her mother.
Vaguely now, he realized the torment the woman
had endured all these years at the hands of his father, for no matter in what capacity anyone was connected with
his father they would, in some way, suffer.
His father had been the source of so much suffering, and now he was dead. He clamped down on the feeling of
intense relief, even joy, that was straining to escape
from some secret cell in his brain and envelop him, and ordered his mind to dwell on the fact that Arthur had
killed him and Arthur would undoubtedly be hanged for
it, that is if something wasn't done, and soon.
He found himself taking the three steps to bring him
face to face with big Polly and which caused her
to stop in her pacing. He had never stood so close
to her for years, and now he was recalling the peculiar smell that emanated from her, it was a mixture of
sour milk and sweat. His voice sounded
surprisingly firm, even to himself, as he said, "It
... it was an accident."
"Accident! Huh!"
"It could be looked upon as such ... he fell from his horse, it... it must have stumbled and . . . and the fall broke his neck."
Her hand was again gathering up the material of her
blouse. "He broke his neck?" The words were a whimper.
For answer he nodded his head just once; then
putting his hand inside his coat he handed
her the coiled rope., saying, "There's . . .
there's no one knows the facts except us," His
eyes flicked from one to the other; then on an instant
recalling his conversation with young Peter earlier, he put in hastily, "There's . , . there's Peter.
It was he who told me that Arthur had taken a
rope and gone down to the copse. I... I think it
would be wise if you talked to him."
There was silence in the room; then big Polly said
quietly, "Aye, Master Charlie, aye, I'll
talk to him. And God bless you this day," On this she grabbed at his hand and, bringing it up to her breast, she pressed it there for a moment, still keeping her eyes on him.
He was blushing again, the heat was flushing his body like a hot drink. He looked from big Polly
to Arthur who was still leaning against the wall as if he were drunk. Then his gaze flicked to young Polly whose
face was expressing stark fear, and without a word he
turned and left them.
On the gravel outside he stood for a moment, the
latch of the door in his hand, and as he stared down
towards the farm he straightened his shoulders and jerked his chin to the side. He felt strange, elated;
tie had gone into that room a boy and he had come
out a man.
maniac you! You interferin' numskull! You'll
swing, you'll swing! An' for what? "Cos he
wanted his son broke in. 'Twasn't him. He
got what he wanted from me, you all knew that.
Aye by God! an" you've let me know it an'
all over the years." She stopped her shaking and
thrust him against the wall where he leaned looking at
her like a frightened child, all his aggressiveness gone, no vestige of the bumptious youth left.
Big Polly now turned and looked at her
daughter. The saliva was dripping from one corner of
her mouth, her tongue lolling in the open gap, and she
gasped as she said, "It . , . it was for young master there you had to go down, not the boss, I ... I
didn't tell you "cos . . . well, oh my
God!" She put her hand to her head and rocked herself back and forward. "What's come upon us this day? As if I hadn't had enough all me life. But now murder.
Oh my God!" She turned to Charlie, and as if
she were talking about some animal on the farm she said to him simply,, "He wanted you broken in, and he
picked on Polly here. I ... I
didn't tell her what she had to go down to the
cottage for till the last minute, I ... I
couldn't bring meself to. And now . , . now-was
She put her arms under her flagging breasts and,
turning from him, began to walk round the small room,
her pace quickening to almost a run.
All this time Charlie hadn't once looked at
Polly, he had kept his eyes fixed on her mother.
Vaguely now, he realized the torment the woman
had endured all these years at the hands of his father, for no matter in what capacity anyone was connected with
his father they would, in some way, suffer.
His father had been the source of so much suffering, and now he was dead. He clamped down on the feeling of
intense relief, even joy, that was straining to escape
from some secret cell in his brain and envelop him, and ordered his mind to dwell on the fact that Arthur had
killed him and Arthur would undoubtedly be hanged for
it, that is if something wasn't done, and soon.
He found himself taking the three steps to bring him
face to face with big Polly and which caused her
to stop in her pacing. He had never stood so close
to her for years, and now he was recalling the peculiar smell that emanated from her, it was a mixture of
sour milk and sweat. His voice sounded
surprisingly firm, even to himself, as he said, "It
... it was an accident."
"Accident! Huh!"
"It could be looked upon as such ... he fell from his horse, it... it must have stumbled and . . . and the fall broke his neck."
Her hand was again gathering up the material of her
blouse. "He broke his neck?" The words were a whimper.
For answer he nodded his head just once; then
putting his hand inside his coat he handed
her the coiled rope., saying, "There's . . .
there's no one knows the facts except us," His
eyes flicked from one to the other; then on an instant
recalling his conversation with young Peter earlier, he put in hastily, "There's . , . there's Peter.
It was he who told me that Arthur had taken a
rope and gone down to the copse. I... I think it
would be wise if you talked to him."
There was silence in the room; then big Polly said
quietly, "Aye, Master Charlie, aye, I'll
talk to him. And God bless you this day," On this she grabbed at his hand and, bringing it up to her breast, she pressed it there for a moment, still keeping her eyes on him.
He was blushing again, the heat was flushing his body like a hot drink. He looked from big Polly
to Arthur who was still leaning against the wall as if he were drunk. Then his gaze flicked to young Polly whose
face was expressing stark fear, and without a word he
turned and left them.
On the gravel outside he stood for a moment, the
latch of the door in his hand, and as he stared down
towards the farm he straightened his shoulders and jerked his chin to the side. He felt strange, elated;
tie had gone into that room a boy and he had come
out a man.
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