almost immediately joined by a smaller, silver one on the mantelpiece. His lordship clearly kept good time. Ross said: 'When do you wish us to leave?'
Liverpool blinked his eye again. 'Tomorrow evening, I think. The Prince Regent is returning from Brighton in the morning, and I would like you to see him before you go.'
Ross looked his surprise. 'Is he a party to this mission?'
There was silence. Melville again refilled Ross's glass.
'Not exactly a party to it,' said Liverpool. 'But I have asked him to confer a baronetcy on you. I consider it a necessary part of the enterprise.'
'What!' shouted Demelza. 'What, Ross?' Fortunately the children were out with Mrs Kemp, for they would have been startled at their mother's tone. "You ... They ... They want you to ... Oh, Ross. Oh, Ross.' She gripped his arms and reached up and kissed him. 'But you said no! You said you wouldn't. In Nampara, that night in Nampara when you first told me about it. You said you had refused--'
'I remember very well what I said!' Ross answered in irritation. 'What I said to you and what I said to him! Of course I refused then and of course I refused now! I want no title that I have not earned! He has some damned fool notion that it is of great importance that I shall take it. Melville was the same. They say, they argue, that a mere captain in a Paris which abounds in titles would rate too unimportant for their purpose. Melville had a list of the officers in the French army. Practically everyone is a count or a baron. Even those rating from Bonapartist days had some title to their name - those, that is to say, who had not been created dukes or princes! My God, if I had known this...'
She kissed him on the side of the mouth. 'You would have refused to come?'
Yes!'
'But now?'
He disengaged himself roughly from her clasp and went to the window, stared out at a street scene still mantled with light snow, at a woman selling oranges, at another with a wheelbarrow packed with cabbages. For a time he said nothing, but thought of a conversation he had had with Caroline Enys just after Christmas. Caroline had said:
'They tell me you were offered a tide.'
'Yes.'
'And refused it?'
Yes."
'May I know the reasons why?'
Ross told her. Caroline had listened to him with that loving attention she reserved specially for him, with a glint of humour lurking somewhere in her eye.
'My dear Ross, do you not think you may have been mistaken?'
'If you think my reasons mistaken, then you may think the same of my decision.'
You live in an ideal world, Ross, and in an ideal world tides would be abolished. But we do not and they are not. And sometimes they are useful. This one, since it is hereditary, could in time to come be very useful to Jeremy, even if you did not want it for yourself.'
'Let him make his own way. People should stand on their own feet.'
'Of course. But shall you not, when you die, bequeath him and the other children the mines, the house, the farm? I do not suppose any money you leave will be distributed to the poor. In what, then, is it distasteful to leave a tide behind?'
He grunted. You argue like a lawyer.'
'No I don't, because I argue out of love. And think how delighted Demelza would have been.'
'Demelza? What rubbish! She would detest the idea! She has said so.'
'No doubt she said so after she knew you had refused it.
But she would adore it -- perhaps not being called Lady Poldark, but at least that you should be Sir Ross! Ask any woman, anywhere. Any woman. I mean it. I assure you.'
He had thought of that conversation this morning, in Lord Liverpool's study, while hovering on the brink. If he had refused again, would it have meant the cancellation of his mission? He hardly thought so. They implied it, but were they bluffing? In the end he had chosen not to call their bluff. As he came back from the window he touched Demelza's arm.
'What I have said was not meant in irritation.'
'What if it were?' she said. 'No matter. You have reason
Liverpool blinked his eye again. 'Tomorrow evening, I think. The Prince Regent is returning from Brighton in the morning, and I would like you to see him before you go.'
Ross looked his surprise. 'Is he a party to this mission?'
There was silence. Melville again refilled Ross's glass.
'Not exactly a party to it,' said Liverpool. 'But I have asked him to confer a baronetcy on you. I consider it a necessary part of the enterprise.'
'What!' shouted Demelza. 'What, Ross?' Fortunately the children were out with Mrs Kemp, for they would have been startled at their mother's tone. "You ... They ... They want you to ... Oh, Ross. Oh, Ross.' She gripped his arms and reached up and kissed him. 'But you said no! You said you wouldn't. In Nampara, that night in Nampara when you first told me about it. You said you had refused--'
'I remember very well what I said!' Ross answered in irritation. 'What I said to you and what I said to him! Of course I refused then and of course I refused now! I want no title that I have not earned! He has some damned fool notion that it is of great importance that I shall take it. Melville was the same. They say, they argue, that a mere captain in a Paris which abounds in titles would rate too unimportant for their purpose. Melville had a list of the officers in the French army. Practically everyone is a count or a baron. Even those rating from Bonapartist days had some title to their name - those, that is to say, who had not been created dukes or princes! My God, if I had known this...'
She kissed him on the side of the mouth. 'You would have refused to come?'
Yes!'
'But now?'
He disengaged himself roughly from her clasp and went to the window, stared out at a street scene still mantled with light snow, at a woman selling oranges, at another with a wheelbarrow packed with cabbages. For a time he said nothing, but thought of a conversation he had had with Caroline Enys just after Christmas. Caroline had said:
'They tell me you were offered a tide.'
'Yes.'
'And refused it?'
Yes."
'May I know the reasons why?'
Ross told her. Caroline had listened to him with that loving attention she reserved specially for him, with a glint of humour lurking somewhere in her eye.
'My dear Ross, do you not think you may have been mistaken?'
'If you think my reasons mistaken, then you may think the same of my decision.'
You live in an ideal world, Ross, and in an ideal world tides would be abolished. But we do not and they are not. And sometimes they are useful. This one, since it is hereditary, could in time to come be very useful to Jeremy, even if you did not want it for yourself.'
'Let him make his own way. People should stand on their own feet.'
'Of course. But shall you not, when you die, bequeath him and the other children the mines, the house, the farm? I do not suppose any money you leave will be distributed to the poor. In what, then, is it distasteful to leave a tide behind?'
He grunted. You argue like a lawyer.'
'No I don't, because I argue out of love. And think how delighted Demelza would have been.'
'Demelza? What rubbish! She would detest the idea! She has said so.'
'No doubt she said so after she knew you had refused it.
But she would adore it -- perhaps not being called Lady Poldark, but at least that you should be Sir Ross! Ask any woman, anywhere. Any woman. I mean it. I assure you.'
He had thought of that conversation this morning, in Lord Liverpool's study, while hovering on the brink. If he had refused again, would it have meant the cancellation of his mission? He hardly thought so. They implied it, but were they bluffing? In the end he had chosen not to call their bluff. As he came back from the window he touched Demelza's arm.
'What I have said was not meant in irritation.'
'What if it were?' she said. 'No matter. You have reason
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