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Updated: June 6, 2025
He had small personal acquaintance with Polpier itself: the steepness of the coombs in which it lay was penible to a man of his weight: yet, albeit by hearsay, he knew the inner workings of the small town, being interested in the circumstances of all his neighbours, vividly charitable towards them, and at the same time no fool in judging.
And as a Polpier woman, born and bred, I'd like to be one of the first to wish you joy of your good fortune." Nicky-Nan's face did not flush. On the contrary, it turned to an ashen grey, as he stood before her and leant for support on his stick. He was making inarticulate sounds in his throat. "Who told you?" he gasped hoarsely. Recollecting himself, he hastily changed the form of the question.
They took the line that as State-employed teachers of the young, that is to say, Civil Servants, they deserved more social respect than Polpier habitually showed them. In this contention, to be sure, they were wholly right.
But in the long evenings since my poor wife's death I often find time to think of you, Mr Nanjivell; bein' both of us lame of the right leg as it happens. Hows'ever 'tisn' no news o' riches for 'ee to-day, sorry as I be to say it: for the postmark's 'Polpier." He tendered the letter. Nicky-Nan stretched out a hand, but drew it back on a sudden suspicion. "No," he said. "You may take an' keep it.
"A great deal of fervid stuff was uttered in England last Sunday by archbishops, bishops, presidents of this and that Free Church; and the 'religious newspapers' have been full of these utterances. God forgive my presumption that, as I walk the streets of Polpier, I seem to hear all these popular men preaching with acceptance about nothing in particular!
While the dusk lasted he could dig, up there, and no passer-by would suspect him of any intent beyond eking out the last glimpse of day. To be surprised in the act of digging by moonlight was another matter, and might start an evil rumour. For one thing, it was held uncanny, in Polpier, to turn the soil by moonlight a deed never done save by witches or persons in league with Satan.
God forgive me for sayin' so, but I'll be more comfortable there. . . . Ay, d'ee hear me, Mr Pamphlett? More comfortable than here amidst women's tongues an' clerkly men's devices, an', what's worse, even the set-up whisperin' o' children. God forgive 'em an' forgive you! I'm a Polpier man, an' the last o' my stock; but I'll come back, if at all, to finish in Polpier with credit."
"To tell 'ee the truth, then, there's a particular reason why I don't want to leave Polpier not just for the present." Dr Mant stared at him. "You are going to tell me that reason?" But Nicky-Nan shook his head. "I'd rather not say," he confessed lamely. Still Dr Mant stared. "Look here, Nanjivell. You've a beast of a lump on your leg, and I can certify at once that it unfits you for service.
But whereas the dislike of nine-tenths of Polpier was helpless as the toad's resentment of the harrow since the banker held the strings of sundry Fishing Companies, and was a hard taskmaster Un' Benny, with a few chosen kinsmen, had preserved his independence.
He tells me his motto is 'Be British, an' he has to do a kind action every day of his life: which he won't find easy, in a little place like Polpier." As 'Beida drew breath, the boy faced Nicky-Nan half sulkily. "They put me into this outfit. I didn't ask for it." "If you want my opinion, 'Bert," said Nicky-Nan, "it suits 'ee very well; an' you look two inches taller in it already."
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