"A nice bit of trouble this is. Things is going to happen in this house and happen soon, or I'm very mistook.”

She rocked backwards and forwards, laughing. She hadn't enjoyed herself so much for a long time.

He came often, that Marcus, and with him that Tom Blake. They couldn't keep away from Carolan, neither of 'em. And the haughty piece pretended not to care a jot about them, tossed her head, threw a smile at Tom though, and looked through Marcus as though he wasn't there.

Funny. And funny-I-don't-think when the master gets to know they've been coming here. The cheek of them, coming into the yard to pay visits just like they was gentry. Marcus had a word with Esther, tried to cheer her. told her he'd look after the baby, tried to show her that what had happened wasn't much, nothing to get frightened about. He would go on talking to the miserable girl, and Mistress Carolan would flounce in, and if looks could kill she would have killed him, but Margery wasn't born yesterday and she knew how it was with both of them ... crying out for each other, that's what they were. It made you feel funny to see them.

One afternoon Margery was in the shed near the pump when Carolan came into the yard. It wasn't often that Carolan went into the yard. The summer had faded now and the winter was on them. It was chilly in the yard, but something queer about the way she stood there as though she were waiting for someone, made Margery cautiously shut the shed door and decide to wait and watch. She did not have to wait long before Marcus came swinging into the yard for all the world as though he owned it; and peering through a crack in the door Margery saw his face and she guessed they had arranged this meeting.

Ho! Ho! thought Margery. So it's making it up, is it, me lovelies!

So you're coming to your senses at last!

"Marcus!" said Carolan.

"Carolan! Carolan!”

The way he said her name was in itself a declaration of love. He had a beautiful voice. She's hard as nails to say no to a man like that, and her not cut out to do without men no more than I was.

"I want to talk to you about Esther.”

"Is that why you sent for me?”

"She is very unhappy, Marcus. She is thinking of death. I saw her take up a knife and look at it in a longing way, as though she were thinking death would be a way out of her troubles, for life has become unendurable for her.”

"What can I do about that?”

"What can you do? You are the cause of it; you will have to do something.”

Tell me what, Carolan.”

"Marcus, you are a brute! I wish we had never met you. Poor Esther, you have ruined her life. You know how she feels. She believes herself to be utterly damned.”

"You put all the blame on me, Carolan.”

"Because that is where it belongs!”

"Now. now, me lady!" muttered Margery.

"That ain't fair. It takes two to make a quarrel and it takes two to make a baby; that's my way of thinking. And to see the way you've been treating that Esther, it would seem you thought all the blame was with her!”

"Carolan! Carolan!”

"Oh, please stop saying my name in that way. If it is meant to be affectionate, it does not seem so to me. I see right through you, Marcus. You have no scruples whatever; you are completely without honour; you are absolutely despicable.”

What a tongue she had. And a fool he was, for all that he seemed such a fine gentleman. She wanted him to take her now and not to mind if she kicked or yelled. Let her yell; it would do her good. Let her kick; she was a kicker anyway.

"There is only one thing to do. Esther will die of a broken heart, or she will kill herself. I know Esther. She can never beat the shame of this. You must marry her.”

"Marry her. You talk as though we were in conventional England: "Esther is conventional, as England made her. You are rotten, as England made you.”

"And you are hard and cruel and cold as ice!”

"I am trying to do the right thing for you both.”

"Carolan, have you no sympathy, no understanding?”

"No sympathy, but complete understanding, I fear. You must marry Esther. Nothing else will make her live. I know her, and I am sure of that.”

"My dear Carolan, you are talking the most ridiculous nonsense. Marry Esther! Have you forgotten that we are convicts?”

"Convict! You! What an evil world this is, when such as you can feather their nests, and such as Esther, innocent Esther, can become your prey! I tell you you shall marry Esther.”

"It is impossible, Carolan.”

"You talked of marrying me.”

"I should have had to arrange it very carefully.”

"Well, this is arranged. I have arranged it.”

"What do you mean? Carolan, you simply do not understand. We are slaves, all of us. We have been here but a short time. We shall have to wait, shall have to prove that we are worthy of marriage.”

"Worthy of marriage! You certainly are not. If Esther were not such a little fool, I should tell her to have nothing more to do with you, to think herself lucky that, though she has been foolish enough to make you the father of her child, you are not her husband.”

Margery chuckled. Ha! Ha! My beauty, you're giving it away. All that bitterness, and you pretending not to care! You're jealous ... jealous as they make 'em, and of that snivelling, praying wretch. As for you, me fine gentleman, you're not so smart. You can't see what she's thinking, can you?

"But you see, Carolan, it is impossible; if it were not, I would marry her. She is a sweet girl, and I behaved, as you say, very badly. It is up to me to make amends in the way she wants me to. But it is not possible, for she has been assigned to this house...”

"It is possible. I have spoken to Me Masterman, and I have his consent to your marriage.”

"You... have what...?”

He might well be surprised. Margery almost burst out of the shed. You spoke to Mr. Masterman... you! And who are you to speak to him Didn't he put me in charge of the kitchen? Isn't it my place... Carolan had folded her arms across her breast, and she stood there, rocking on her heels, laughing to herself, hating him in a way that was really loving him; and yet stubborn as a mule with the fierceness of a tigress.

"You have spoken to Mr. Masterman... you, Carolan?”

"Oh, yes. Marcus!" Her voice was edged with light laughter, bubbling laughter that was somehow sharp and meant to cut into his pride, murder any hopes he might have had.

"Mr. Masterman and I are friendly... very friendly indeed.

Margery let loose an expletive. She clapped her hands over her mouth; her face was purple with fury; her hands itched. Had she been neat the whip that hung over the mantelpiece she would have reached for it and she would have laid it about those insolent shoulders. She was speaking in that way of the master!

"I am sure," she said, haughty now, verily the mistress of the house and the yard and of the kitchen and of him and of herself, 'that I can arrange it satisfactorily.”

Marcus was taken off his guard.

He said: "I see." Then he burst out: "You... you slut! So that is it.

I see. I might have seen before. How long?" And those two words betrayed his defeat, his love for her.

"What is that to you?”

"It makes me laugh!”

"I am glad you are amused; though why you should be I quite fail to see.”

"You, my haughty Carolan ... and that... puritan! His name stands for virtue in the town. Tell me, Carolan, how did you manage to seduce the fellow?”

She flashed out angrily: "How dare you talk in this way I He is a better man than you will ever be. I am happy now. Why should we not?

He is in love with me.”

"I do not doubt it, Carolan. Masterman. The prude! The puritan! I shall split my sides with laughing.”

"It would be the best thing that could happen to you if you. killed yourself with laughing. For Esther too, I am thinking!”

"Carolan__forgive me I It is so funny ... so funny. You and Masterman.

You will have to play your cards very carefully, my dear.”

"Do not dare to breathe a word of this to anyone!”

"Oh, Carolan, Carolan!”

"If you do, I will have it known that you are a cheat and a liar. I will see to it that you are punished. I will see...”

"Ah! I see Masterman's mistress will rule the town!”

"You heard what I said. I mean it. Breathe a word of what...”

"... of what you have so indiscreetly told me ...”

"Breathe a word of it, and I will... I will have you beaten to death. I will...”

"It is blackmail! I keep quiet then about you, and you keep quiet about me. What a pretty pair we are, are we not? So admirably suited!”

Margery thought the girl was going to cry, for all she held her head so high. And as for him, he was heart-broken, for all the cruel lashings of his tongue. Oh yes, they were crying out for each other, and in spite of everything Margery could have wept for them.

"Enough of this," said Carolan, and turned from him. Through the crack in the cornet of the shed, Margery saw her, face, saw her lips quiver.

"You and Esther can be married soon.”

"Carolan!" He was beside her, his hands on her shoulders, forcing her round to look at him.

Now! thought Margery. Now! She's yours now for the taking ... the wanton. The waster! I don't believe that. I wasn't born yesterday.

That's just to aggravate him, that is!

"Well?" her voice rapped out at him.

"What is it? Please take your hands off me.”

"And if I will not? Doubtless you will call your lover to horsewhip me!”