"When shall I see you again, Cap'n?" "When the spirit moves me, Margaret." "I'd have thought you have business enough." "I was talking of pleasure, Cap'n, not business." "If it be money..." "When there's no money I shan't come." "Oh, that'd be cruel." "I could get you money." "I do know some rich people." "Sometimes a little bit of money can help a man." "You're full of goodness in more ways than one." " What time is it?" " Past midnight." " l'll go and play the tables." " It's time you were married." "You need a wife to go home to." "If wives kept their husbands at home, you'd be poor." "Oh, not that snivelling lot, can't even keep the cat at home." "No, yours'll be different." "She be more'n a match for you." "I'll chose none at all and please myself." "Been disappointed, Cap'n?" "She were a fool, then." "Well, plenty more pebbles on the beach." "No need to hanker after one alone." " l hanker after none at all." " Better that way." "Pebble you stumble across always prettier than one you look for." "Anyway..." "I shouldn't go marrying you off." "I'd be losing you for good." "Perhaps not." "Perhaps you'd be keeping me." "No, not you." "There's some men who's made to wander and some not." "When you find yours, you'll stick with her." " Stand." " Buy one." "Sir?" "Sir?" "Ah, monsieur!" "Talbot at your service." "Monsieur Talbot, they tell me you can play anything here." "If it is known, we can play it." "Faro, backgammon, vingt-et-un, bezique,any game you like." " All is here for your enjoyment." " That to your taste, gentlemen?" " Indeed!" " First of all, rum!" "A bottle a man at the least crowded table, it makes no difference where." "The backgammon table is empty, sir, perhaps you'd like that?" "Thank you, Talbot." "Now, then." "Mr Poldark?" "I'll buy another." "First of all, gentlemen, a wager." "We break the house or we walk home." "I doubt whether you'll still be standing, Iet alone walking!" "Mr Poldark, are you playing, sir?" "No, I've had enough." " Sir?" " Good night, gentlemen." " My horse, Talbot." " Let me get you a carriage." "When I can't ride a horse, order me a hearse." "I'll have your horse brought round." " Soon?" " Soon." "Isn't that your cousin, Francis?" "Damn it, I didn't know he came here." " Who is it?" " 'Tis Miss Verity, Master Ross." "What time is it?" "Ten o'clock." "What's wrong with the bedroom?" "The stairs." "Stairs make no concession as to how a man comes home at night." "Leave them, Prudie'll clean up." " Prudie's busy." " That's a change." "Prudie's busy." "I'll have it announced in church!" "I'm sorry, I had a late night last night." "What I do with my life is my concern!" "You're doing nothing, that's my complaint." "There are gates swinging on the outhouses for want of nails." "Garden fences are down, there's no corn in the barns and Jud sits whittling for a want of master's voice to tell him what to do." "Do you intend to sell and go away again?" "I don't know." "Perhaps." "I've no interest here." " Will you find it elsewhere?" " l may." "It's not the place you've lost interest in, it's yourself." "Would that be different elsewhere?" "My head is bursting, I'm in no mood for discussion." "And whose fault is that?" "No one's but your own." "You spent all night at Talbot's drinking and playing cards." " Who told you I was there?" " l hear things.l don't live in a convent." "From what I hear, you go too often for your own good." "What's good for me is for me to decide." "Oh!" "You don't do anything so grand as deciding." "That evidently is beyond you at the moment." "You drift from one day to the next." "You've neither oars nor rudder, nor the strength to work them if you did." "You're a very sorry sight, cousin." "Did you come all this way to tell me that?" " l did not." " What did you come for?" "I'm not ready for a change of subject yet!" " Why don't you sit down?" " Standing matches my mood more." "Sitting and holding your head seems to match yours." "If you must have your say could we not arrange a better time for it?" "No, we could not." "I should have mentioned it long ago except I hoped you'd discover it all for yourself." "But it seems I was wrong." "It seems Elizabeth was a better judge of character than I was." "I hate waste." "My own life's a desert but at least not through any fault of mine." "Still, I hate to see it in others." "Ross... you must forget her." "You must put her aside." "There's no road that leads to her any more." "She's married to my brother and she's happy." "Master Ross?" "Master Ross, do her want summat to drink?" "I think it is I who needs something to drink, Prudie." "What did you come over for?" "Only to ask you if you still remember how to dance." "If I had a mind I could remember." "Why?" "There's a charity ball in Truro in two weeks' time." "I'd so like to go but want an escort." "I could go with Francis and Elizabeth but we'd look so bad." " Are they going, then?" " Yes." "Would you mind?" "No, I'd be enchanted." "You may regret it when you've danced with me all night." "I've no intention of it - you're just to make it look proper." "Oh, I see, I'm to be used?" "Well, what else are cousins for?" "There's a young man at the door looking for work, sir," " name of Jim Carter." " It's an omen!" "Hire him." "You need extra help, Prudie can't do it all." "Oh, now, there's a sympathetic soul." "It do take a woman to know what a woman's work be!" "Tell him to come in, Prudie, and send Jud in." "There's seed corn at home if you need it." "Father won't mind." "I'll get my own seed corn, woman." "Now, leave me in peace." " Where have you been working?" " At Grambler, sir." "'Tis your uncle's mine, I'm told." " Yes." "Have you been dismissed?" " No, sir." "Nothing like that." "I started coughing black phlegm and surgeon says I must work up in open a whiles." "Ain't much air in Grambler." " Can you farm?" " l can farm, sir, do anything." "I need the work, sir, bad." "I'm hoping to wed soon." "I can't pay what you'd earn in the mine." "I know that, sir, but 'tis work in the fresh air I'd want." "Jud, there's a new hand for you." "I want the barns weatherproofed and the plough mended." "Tomorrow, you and I will go into Truro for stock and seed." "Too late for sowing, sir." "Wouldn't risk it at this time o' year." "I've sowed as late as this, sir, bain't been too much rain, ground not sodden." "Get the plough mended, Jud, we'll chance it." "We don't want none of that toadying to master." "You watch it, lad." "Why, bless me." " Now, who's that?" " Come in!" "Look 'ere, Maudie, look who we met outside." "It's Cap'n Poldark." "Come in, sir." "Bless me, bless us all and me in such a terrible mess." "I'm rollin' this for a pasty." " Looks good." " Be better when it's done." "Pity you didn't come till later." "Look how he's changed, hardly recognised him." "I glimpsed you riding by but it's true you've changed - lot thinner." " l should've called before." " You're too busy to see tenants." "With good tenants, Zack, you don't need to." "Same goes for a good landlord, sir." "We had a right grieve when your father died, then some more when we heard you had." "It were like a miracle when we heard you was back, sir." " Won't you sit down?" " No, I'm off to Truro to buy stock." " Is this Jinny?" " Our eldest, 17 a month gone." "I don't remember her so pretty." "Stop blushing, child, say hello to Cap'n Poldark." " Her has forgotten." " No, I haven't!" "You've had another?" "Two, sir, since you've been gone." "There's nine all told now." "I need some help in the fields." "That's kind but them that's old enough work down the mine." "Would Jinny like to give Prudie a hand?" " She's a spaller at the mine." " That's hard work." "Well, she'll be wed soon, saving every penny." "Oh." "Who's it going to be?" "Jim Carter, Cap'n." "You took him on yesterday as a hand." "He's luckier than he allowed." "And I'm out of luck, it seems." "I'll ask round." "Some young'uns might want work." "Send them up to the house." "Goodbye, Mrs Martin." "Goodbye." "You've got a good one in Jim." " You've got some good ones there." " Bye, Cap'n." "Bye, Zack." "Look at the wool on that!" " That's a fine beast." " How much you want for him?" " How much?" " Twelve and a half, sir." "Guineas." "That's no haggling price." "I could ask more but I wanna get home, so I'll take no less." "Pounds." "Done, sir." "You've got a good ox." "He'll pull your plough to kingdom come." "Ooh!" "We are taking him." " Let me go!" " Come round my stall thieving?" "!" "No!" "I found it!" "Take that, you blighter!" "You..." "I've had enough of you for my liking." "I've had..." " Enough!" "Enough!" " You mind your business!" "You'll kill the boy!" "Enough!" "She ain't no boy!" "She's a mare, worse than all the rest." "Two days she's been around here." "I seen her. I know her ways." "Sneaking around and thieving from under me nose." "Here, here's for the cake." "And have some charity, man." "Charity?" "She'd want a good beating twice a day instead." "I should go home if I were you." "Ebeneezer?" "Bring another pasty." "What's your name?" "Demelza." "Demelza!" " Is that your first name?" " Mm." " Pretty name." " Think it is?" "Don't you?" " What's your last name?" " Carne, I think." " Don't you know?" " Father said he were called Carne." "Leastways, that's what he said." " Said he was called Carne?" " Said he was my father." " Is he dead?" " Mm." " Where's your mother?" " She's dead too." "Of a broken heart, I suppose." "A broken head - he killed her, hit her with an iron." "Said she fell." "How old are you?" "15.Nearly." " 15, then." " You're small for 15." "I don't get enough to eat, that's why!" " Where do you live?" " Illogan." " With whom?" " No one." " Where do you sleep, then?" " Where I can, of course." "Work a bit, here and there." "Ain't much work in Illogan though." "Done finished that ale?" "Don't you know it's wrong to steal?" "Why do you do it, then?" "Got no money, that's why." "Wouldn't you?" " Don't want your pasty." " What's wrong with it?" "'Tweren't big enough." "Ebeneezer, bring another one." "Why do you dress like that?" "It's better - boys leave you alone." "You look abominable." " Can't you grow your hair?" " 'Tis growing!" " Why's it so short?" " Man cut it off." " Man?" "Why?" " Said I stole his watch." "And did you?" "Course not!" "Fell out of his pocket when he were dressing." "Dressing?" "Cut my hair, he did." " Well, I must be riding back." " Which way?" "I live in Nampara, near Sawle." "That's past the turning to Illogan." " How did you come here?" " Walked." "Ooh." "I feel...queer." "I'll never walk back!" "All right, you can ride part of the way with me." "Come on." "This is as far as I can take you." "Nampara is over there." "Oh, I feel sick." " l'm not taking you further." " l feel sick!" "You walked all the way in, you can walk half the way back." "It'll be dark before I get there, I'm afraid." "No!" "No, don't!" "Don't!" "Oh!" "Oh." "Ooh, my leg." "Ooh." "Ooh, it hurts." "Ooh, my poor leg, I twisted it bad." "Oh, my poor leg!" "Well, let me see." "Does that hurt?" "Ooh!" " Or that?" " Mmm." "And there?" "Do you feel any pain there?" "I could take them off for a shilling, I done it before." "What are you laughing at?" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "What's so funny?" "I done it before." "Stop laughing." " So you've done it before?" " Course I have, lots of times." "Men like it." "They don't laugh." " Where will you sleep tonight?" " In Illogan somewhere." "Look..." "Shall I take them off?" "Cost you none but a shilling." " Can you scrub and clean?" " Eh?" " Can you work?" " Ain't you got a shilling?" "Would you like to come home with me?" "That'd cost two." " Do you want some work?" " Work?" "I need help in the house." "You'll have bed, food and a guinea a year but you'll have to work for it and keep yourself clean." " l am clean!" " Do you want to come or no?" "'Es." " Can't you say yes?" " 'Es." "Y-es." "Get up on the horse." "If you change your mind, you can stay the night and go back to Illogan in the morning." "If I have any nonsense, I'll send you packing." "You dance well, Captain." "Your daughter dance better - she's taught me new steps." "Ah, well, girls practise more." "You must ask her to show you others." "Your cousin seems to approve her partner's dancing, though he seemed to me to dance none too well." "Perhaps it's he who approves of hers." "Excuse me." "You're exciting comment." "Ooh, that's such a small thing to excite." " If it were scandal..." " That's better left to me." "You men have all the fun." "What do you think of him?" "Since you monopolise him all evening how shall I find out?" "You'll have your chance soon." "What do you think of the look of him?" "Sturdy, dependable." " l shan't take that for criticism." " Wasn't meant to be." "There." "Care for this lemonade, Captain Poldark?" "No, thank you, I'll have punch later." "Aren't the rest of your family coming?" "They've gone to dinner first with friends." " The Warleggans?" " Yes." "What route do you sail, Captain?" "Falmouth to Lisbon, sir." "We take out tea and bring back oranges." " Sometimes we go on to Algiers." " Biscay seas can be rough." " Rough as you'll find anywhere." " Here's Papa!" "Oh, Verity." "Has Ross danced all over your feet?" "He's better than he admits to." " Where are the others?" " Oh, they're dancing." "Now, who is this?" "May I introduce Captain Blamey, Father?" "He's a sea captain." "He's told me all about the sea and how to put ships in bottles." " l'm honoured, sir." " Excuse me." "Course, Ross." "Well, how big is this ship of yours, Captain?" " Are you not dancing?" " No." "I see Ruth Teague looking longingly at you across the room." "I may go home." "Would you mind?" "Only if you're not enjoying yourself." "You are enjoying yourself and that's why I came." " Now do you like him?" " Do you?" "Yes." "Yes, yes." "He's very straightforward, I think, and very kind and simple." "Father knows the ship he sails." "I could go home with Father if you wanted to leave." "Enjoy yourself." "Good night, Captain Blamey." "Good night, sir." " Are you leaving, Ross?" " Yes, Uncle." "Ross, erm...what do you make of this Blamey fellow, eh?" "He's asked if he may bring Verity home." "He's also asked if he may call upon her." "Seems very sound." "Yes, solid, I would say." "Wouldn't you?" "There may be nothing in it but Verity's not a youngster and I don't want to pass up any chances." "No." "Good night, Uncle." "Good night, Ross." "Mr Poldark!" " Mr Poldark!" " Who wants him?" " Out of the way, woman!" " You can't go in there!" "He come bursting' in, Master Ross!" "What's the meaning of this?" " Mr Poldark." " Who the devil are you?" " Tom Carne, and my brothers." " What do you want?" "I hear you took my daughter." "She ain't been heard of since." "I wanna know what 'e done with her." " Your daughter?" " Demelza." "Ebeneezer told me you bought her food and left with her and we ain't leaving till we know." "Now, you can tell us peaceful or we can beat it out of you." "You're Demelza's father." "You don't look after her well." "What I do with me own's for me to say." "Now, where is she?" "Do 'e tell us... or do us smash your head in, eh?" "I've a mind to do it anyways." " She's here." " 'Tis no more'n I thought." "I'll fetch her for you." " Oh!" " Ah." "is this man your father?" "I ain't never see'd him before." "You wicked heathen, denying your own father." "I ain't never see'd you before!" "I'll learn you to lie about me!" " What do you want with her?" " Take her home." " Demelza, get your things!" " Just a minute..." "You're gonna let him take me away?" "I ain't never see'd you before!" "You're a dirty old drunk..." " You said, "Get her things."" " You want her back?" " Course I does." " Take her." "Oh, oh. 'Tis like that, is it?" "Take her, is it?" "Oh." "Now you had your use from her!" "Eh?" "Ah, calm as you like, takes her from the fair, keeps her here a couple of days." " And nights." " And nights!" "Then says take her back." "And her not but 14 year old." " She said she was older." " They all say that." "She told me you were dead, and her mother." "Well, her mother is but I ain't." "It be a terrible crime to take a young girl away." "Call the constable, then." "Perhaps you'd rather take a beating, eh?" "Oh, pigs!" "Of course, compensation as I heard it called, will sometimes appease a father's natural wrath." "Get out." " Stay out of this, son." " This is the master's parlour!" "Tom Carne, shall you and I settle this outside?" "l-l didn't come here looking for no trouble, sir." "It's compensation that I want." "Here's two guineas, wages for two years when she'll be of age and owe you nothing." " That's my money!" " Have some respect for your elders!" "This is between me and this gentleman." "He knows the law." "Your wages be due to me till you be 16." "You beat her if'n she don't work and if'n you don't want to, send for me and I'll thrash her." "As for 'e..." "Out, out, the pair of you!" "You're soft as pudding!" "Out!" "I've words to say to 'e outside." "Oh, messing up these gentlemen's papers, it's... I told 'em, I told 'em not to touch anything, sir." "They're just clumsy oafs." "Good day to you, sir." "You give him my money!" " It's not yours, it's his." " Then let him work for it!" "You'll work for it and you'll work hard." "You'll be polite and clean and you'll stop telling me lies!" "Or by God I'll thrash you twice a day." "Now, go help Prudie!" "Oh!" "'Tisn't fair!" "A woman's got no rights, no nothing." "Men, you're all the same - when it come it you stick together." "You can't keep a woman 'gainst her will!" "Prudie says there's murder going on!" "Where be 'em all?" "I'll learn 'em!" " You're too late, Jud.They are gone." " Eh?" " You must have passed them." " Oh, that were them, huh?" "Ooh, I wish I'd known." "I'd have given them a good beating." "I wish I'd known!" "Jim." " l've a mind to thank you." " 'Twasn't nothing, sir." "It was to me." "How are you finding the work?" "It's good, sir." "The open'll do me good." "I don't cough nights any more." "Wish I could get Jinny to leave the mine." " Can she not work elsewhere?" " But it don't pay as well." "The only way to get her out is to marry her." " Why don't you?" " Can't afford rent yet, sir, not until I'm well enow to go back down the mine." " l'll get back to the fields." " Jim." "There's an empty cottage at Mellin." "Brings in nothing." "Needs some repairing but you could have it rent-free" " if you put it right." " Rent-free, sir?" " Mm-hm." " l don't know what to say." " You mean pay nothing?" " If you and Jinny want it." "I'll go and tell her, sir." "I'll go tell her!" "This means we can set our wedding date!" "I'll go and tell her right away." "Little bit of quiet!" "I beg ye, a little bit of quiet!" "Now, has all got mugs filled?" "I'm about to toast the bride and groom." "When I say toast, that's what I mean, so bottoms up, raise drinks and put down empty mugs." "Make sure there's no cheating." "Cap'n Poldark, I can see the daylight out the top of yours." "Roy, make sure Cap'n Poldark's got a full'un." " That's it." " Whoa." "Now..." "I'll keep this short cos it ain't no day for wasting good drinking time." "Jud just brought in a keg of brandy he's been keeping in Cap'n Poldark's rainwater barrel... unbeknowest to him and the revenue men, who thought we went out looking for pilchards." "That's the finest French brandy." "Two barrels already gone where no revenue man can follow and this last'un is about to go in the same direction!" "Begging your pardon, we thank you for the use of your barrel." "You're lucky l never found it." "Now to the bride and groom." "I don't have to tell any of you here what Jinny means to us, she being our eldest." "She's been a good girl and a true'un." "She's very dear to us." "I expect Jim Carter to treat her right, and he will, for he's a good lad." ", Since he come here, well he's come like one of us." "We couldn't wish for no better son-in-law." "So God go with you, and if you'll be as happy as Maudie and me, you won't have no cause for complaint." "The bride and groom." "The bride and groom!" "Come on, Jim, it's your turn!" "Fact is, I didn't nearly get married today so I wouldn't have to do this!" "It fair nearly isn't worth it." "Still, it only happen once, thank God, so here goes." "Come on, Jim." "Three month ago, weren't no sign of this day." "Could have been a year from now or two." "Captain Poldark offers Jinny and me our cottage, free of rent, and we set a date and that date is here now." "No good thanking him for that so I ain't gonna try." "I'll just say if you want anything at all, just ask." "And last, I'll say this - l know Jinny's dear to all her family but she isn't less dear to me." "If Mr Martin couldn't wish for a better son-in-law, I couldn't hope for better parents to my bride. I love 'em as I did my own." "And to all you good friends, thanks one and all for being here today." "Let's open that brandy!" "Cap'n Poldark first!" "I must be on my way, Zack." "Good luck, Jinny." "May God grant happiness to you both." "Thank you, sir." "If the liquor runs dry, there's mead at the house." "We will, Cap'n!" " Night, Zack!" " Good night." "Right, now let's get to that brandy!" "Here's to good French brandy." "Nothing like it!" "Especially when it be fell off a boat in the dark of night and floated in duty-free!" "I'll give you a toast, Zacky." "Hey!" "What's wrong, Zacky?" "This tastes a bit weak, this'un." "Tastes all right to me." "Not as good as the others but it seems all right." "It is the same." "Leastways it were." "We bought three keg off Frenchy and every one's the same." "Damn the little frog, he's cheated us!" "Wouldn't you know?" "They're all the same, them Frenchies." "He ain't never cheated us afore, Jud." "We've always got our brandy from Jean-Pierre." "That's right." "There's always a first time for everything." "Eurgh." "I'll tell you something, Zack - you're right." "I'll tell you something else - there's rainwater got into that keg." "Seeped in, it did." "I knew we should never have kept it hidden in that rainwater barrel." "Some of that fine, old brandy seeped out." "No!" "No!" "It weren't me, it weren't!" "No!" "I only took a nip now and then!" "We'll give you a nip more!" "Help you finish off the whole barrel!" "Hello, Ross." "I came as soon as I got your note." "is something wrong?" "Yes, very wrong." "Won't you sit down?" "Francis and his father are at the mine, they should be back soon." "Don't think I'm using your friendship when it suits me..." "Are you in trouble?" "Is it Francis?" "No." "Oh, you thought..." "No, it's not on my behalf I asked you to call." " On whose, then?" " Verity's." "Verity?" "What has happened to Verity?" " Do you remember Captain Blamey?" " The man she met at the dance." "He's been calling on her regularly sice then." "Your uncle gave his permission, he was quite glad, he'd like to see Verity married." "Does she not like the captain?" "She likes him well enough - she likes him too much." "I don't understand." "When your uncle saw the drift of things and hoped for an outcome, he made inquiries about Blamey." "He has bussiness connections in Falmouth so it wasn't difficult." "And he found something to the captain's detriment?" " Yes." " Why tell me?" "Shouldn't Verity hear it?" "Verity's been told." "That's the trouble, it makes no difference to her." "Well, I can hardly see that this is any of my business." "It would seem to be hardly any of yours." "You don't quite understand." "What we have heard is not silly gossip, it's something quite frightful." "It seems he's been married before." "It seems also he was a notorious drunkard." "One night some years ago, he came home very much the worse for drink." "He and his wife had a quarrel, he struck her and then apparently kicked her." "She fell down the stairs and died." "He was charged and tried and sentenced to three years for manslaughter." "His reputation as a drunkard saved him from the gallows, for he was acquitted on a charge of murder." "It's a horrible story which your uncle confronted him with and which the captain did not deny." "You'll see we're not being oversensitive about it." "And you say Verity knows?" "Yes, but she says it makes no difference." "Your uncle has forbidden them to meet so she shuts herself away and will speak to no one." "Your uncle thought since she is so very fond of you, that she might listen to you." "He felt unable to ask you so I wrote to you myself." "Will you speak to her?" "Ross, has she told you?" "Did you ever hear such a story?" "What do you make of it?" "Am I right or am I wrong?" "You'll talk to her, Ross, she'll listen to you." "I don't think I can do that." "Verity is no child, she's a grown woman." "She knows the facts, she has a right to make up her own mind," " just as you make up yours." " That's a damned odd attitude." "Would you have a gentle girl as Verity married to that man?" "It's not for me to say." "Seems people make odd choices when it comes to marriage." "She may live to regret it or she may not but it's not for me to advise her." "Well, I call that damned unfriendly!" "If that's your attitude, then there's no more to be said." "I am surprised, Ross, I would've thought you might have helped." "I might also have harmed." "The best results don't always follow from listening to others." "Goodbye." "Ross!" "Ross!" " Did they tell you?" " Yes." "I must talk to you." "I knew you were here and I knew why they'd sent for you." "What did you say to them?" "They wanted me to talk to you." "I said you were old enough to decide for yourself." " l take it the story is true." " Yes." "Well, nearly so." "It wasn't as brutish as they make out." " How do you know?" " He told me the story of his own free will before Father ever found out." " All the same." " l know." "I know what you think when you say little." "I was shocked when he told me." "So much so that I refused to see him again." "But he kept writing and pleading with me so in the end I did." "I wasn't sure how long a man must be made to pay for one mistake." "And he has paid, Ross." "He spent three years in prison." "He lost his rank in the navy." "When he came out he worked hard to obtain his present position." "He's never forgiven himself and I know he never will." "Ross." "I love him." "And you love someone for better or ill, you know that." "He never touches drink now, not even at a wedding or a dance." "But do you think he'll keep to that?" "Yes, I do." "He wants to marry me." "But even as I love him, I'm not a fool and I need to know him better." "For that, we must see each other." "Ross." "Can we meet at your house?" "I know that's asking a great deal but my alternative is to pack my things and go now." "And I'm not ready for that yet." "Please, Ross." "Do this for me." "Come whenever you please."