Warleggan by Winston Graham Read Free Book Online Page B

trifle cool. 'I'm old-fashioned i n these matters, Miss Penvenen. I thought civility should be shown on both sides. ’
    `I might have known better than to expect any from you,' `Indeed you might.'
    'The truth is that you do not li ke to be laughed at.' 'That is the truth.'
    They 'were silent for a little way, She turned her whip over and over in her gloved hands and glanced at him, 'I'm sorry.' He looked at her, startled, and she at once laughed. `There, Dr. Enys, you didn't expect m e to say that It has quite frightened you. You see how dangerous it is to pre judice a person. I should have thought your medical training would have warned you against it.'
    'So it should. The symptoms were deceptive,'
    'And now that you find you rself undecieved, don't you owe me an apology?'
    'Yes I'm sorry,'
    She inclined her head. ' Do, you think that if I show a p roperly sober frame of mind and promise never to laugh again, we might share this road as far as Trenwith.?' 'You're staying with your uncle?' 'Yes.'
    `Unwin Trevaunance is down, I hear'
    'He is'
    The groom was not overtaking them but was following just out of earshot.
    'And h ow is the scurvy in Sawle?' she asked,
    `Not so bad as last year. The potato crop didn't fail, and I sometimes Wonder if even potatoes help to keep at bay. On the whole-' He stopped and looked at her face, but if she was secretly deriding hi m, she gave no sign this time.
    'Perhaps I'm wrong in calling you Miss Penvenen .' `Why?'Oh . , , No, I'm not mar r ied yet' ‘Is it to b e soon?'
    She wrinkled her nose, 'Not soon. At least, not to Unwin.
    He's jilted me,' `What?'
    'Well, I'm not sure which way round it was, but Uncle says it was the other way. Uncle was in the greatest of a passion when he learned of it - said I had been, leading Unwin a dance. But really, Dr. Enys, there's no harm in a man performing a dance once in a while, is there? Why, should I sell myself to Unwin just to become Lady Trevaunance when Sir John dies? I was not meant to be an M.P.'s wife. I should get no pleasure in spending all my money, furthering Unwin's career. I'd better p refer to spend it furthering my own!'
    Dwight hoped his feelings did not show in his face.
    `And what brought you to this sudden decision?'
    `Oh... .' A glint came into her eyes. `I' think it was m y first real meeting with Ross Poldark.'
    `Ross Poldark happens to be married.'
    `Yes . . and incidentally last night had no eyes for anyone but his cousin-in-law that lovely fair-haired woman with the grey eyes. I think that's their relationship, isn't it? But it looked closer.'
    'You misunderstood it. Anyway-'
    `Anyway, he had no ey es for me, you were going to say.
    Quite true. I shouldn't object to Poldark as a husband, I believe, but someone spoke him first. No what I mean is 'that when one sees a ship of the line, one is that much less content with a third-rater, Do you understand me, dear Dr. Enys?'
    'I understand you,' said Dwight, wondering what his own category was in His Majesty's Navy.
    `So you can appreciate; it is a very sad story,' said Caroline, `of a young woman left almost at the church door, and no redress. Can you wonder that at any moment she may fall ill and go into a decline?'
    `I can understand;' Dwight said, `that she will now have more time on her hands.'
    There was a long pause. After it Caroline said steadily: `You dislike me very much, don't you?'';
    He flushed. 'D'you really think that? ’
    'Have you ever given me cause to think ot herwise?'
    They had already pass ed Trenwith, passed her turning for Killewarren. He said suddenly: - `If what I feel for you is dislike - for coming between me and my work sometime every day in the last fifteen months - if that's dislike ... If being unable to, forget your voice, or the way you turn your neck, or the lights in your-hair - if that's dislike . If wanting to hear that you're married and dreading to hear that you're married. .. If resenting the condescension that pretends you're not out of my