A Dinner Of Herbs by Yelena Kopylova Read Free Book Online

dead, was lying on a hap on the wooden saddle.
    “Aye. Aye, he did; but that was only after I felt I was too old to see to him. But now somehow... well,
    we’ll see. If the boy survives, we’ll see.”
    “Aye, Kate, aye. But you know we’d be ready. Wouldn’t we, Jane?”
    “Oh, yes, Kate, we would be ready to take him anytime.”
    Again Kate said, “We’ll see, we’ll see.” Then she added, “I expect Mr. Mulcaster will be along
    directly, for the quarry, too, comes under him. They should have railed it off years ago.
    I’ve said that
    again and again, ‘cos afore the enclosure the cows and the sheep went down there
    regular. But this is the
    first time it’s taken human life. And likely, it won’t be the last, the way it’s droppin’.”
    “They’ll bring the justice in it, too, I shouldn’t wonder.”
    “Yes, probably. Anyway, I want to get him cleaned up afore they come.”
    “Will I help you, Kate?”
    “No lass, I can see to this me self I would rather. Somehow—’ She paused and looked at the
    earth-stained figure; then her voice low, she said, “ tis as if he were me son. “
    The young couple remained silent for a time; then Bill said, “We’ll away then. But we’ll be back in a
    short while.”
    “Yes, yes.” She nodded, but didn’t look towards them, and they went out, closing the
    door quietly after
    them.
    She had stripped and washed Peter and covered him with a white sheet, and now she took all his
    clothes, with the exception of his belt, including his outer coat, and put them in the stone wash house
    attached to the back of the cottage. She had taken the folder from his coat in which he kept his seafaring
    papers together with a silver chain on which was hung a wooden heart, the latter polished so much with
    handling that it was as smooth as glass; also a watch in a metal case, but the watch was broken. Back in
    the kitchen, she sat on the foot of the saddle and opened one of the two pockets in the belt and took out
    a small chamois leather bag. Tipping its contents onto her hand, there spilled over a small heap of
    sovereigns. Three had dropped onto the hap covering the boy, and these she picked up
    last, counting
    twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three.
    Twenty-three golden sovereigns.
    “My! My! He must have saved and saved,” she was muttering aloud.
    In the other pocket of the belt was a quantity of silver amounting to three pounds. Now she nodded to
    herself as she looked down on the hoard were she to hand this over with the rest of his clothes to the
    authorities, what would happen to it? Would the boy get it if he survived? Likely a little of what was left
    when it went through them courts and lawyer men. Well, they wouldn’t get their hands
    on it.
    This was rightly the boy’s. Yet she looked around the room as if her decision had been questioned they
    would know he’d have something in his wallet, wouldn’t they? So she’d leave two
    sovereigns, which
    was a good amount, and a pound’s worth of silver, the rest she would keep for the boy, should he
    survive. And if he didn’t? Well, then it would be hers. Some day her own son might
    return who
    knew?—and would be glad of twenty-one golden sovereigns and two pound’s worth of
    silver, for she
    herself would not touch a penny of it.
    Going now to the fireplace, to the side opposite the round bread oven, she put her hand upwards as if
    into the chimney and, gripping a stone, she gently moved it backwards and forwards
    before pulling it out.
    The encrusted soot on it was proof that it was some long time since it had been removed.
    Now, putting
    her hand into a space which was larger than the stone she had extracted, she tipped up the handful of
    sovereigns and silver, then replaced the stone and, as of old practice, she rubbed her hands round its
    edges, spreading the disturbed soot so as not to show a definite line should anyone hold a candle to this
    wall.
    Now shaking the soot from her hand and sleeve, she