""War"?" Nicky-Nan recollected himself with an effort. "Seemin" to me you"re all taken up with it. As though there weren"t other things in this world--"
"If only the Almighty"ll send my Sam home safe an" well!"
But at this point Mr Penhaligon entered the kitchen, with the sea-boots dangling from his hand. He wore his naval uniform--that of an A.B.; blue jumper and trousers, white cinglet edged with blue around his stout throat, loose black neck-cloth and lanyard white as driven snow. His manner was cheerful--even ostentatiously cheerful: but it was to be observed that his eyes avoided his wife"s.
"Hullo, naybour!" he shouted, perceiving Nicky-Nan. "Well, now, I count this real friendly of ye, to come an" give me the send-off."
And indeed Nicky"s presence seemed to be a sensible relief to him.
"Haven"t ate all the eggs, I hope? For I be hungry as a hunter.
. . . Well, so it"s War for sure, and a man must go off to do his little bit; though how it happened--" In the act of helping himself he glanced merrily around the table. "Eh, "Beida, my li"l gel, what be you starin" at so hard?"
"Father looks fine, don"t-a?" responded "Beida, addressing the company.
"What I want to know," said "Bert, "is why he couldn" have married Mother years afore he did--an" then I"d have been a man an" able to work a gun."
"Ho!" Mr Penhaligon brought his fist down on the table with huge enjoyment. "Hear that, my dear? Wants to know why we didn" marry years afore we did?" He turned to his wife, appealing to her to enjoy the joke, but hastily averted his eyes. "Well, now, I"ll tell ye, sonny--if it"s strictly atween you an" me an" the bedpost.
I asked her half a dozen times: but she wouldn" have me. No: look at me she wouldn" till I"d pined away in flesh for her, same as you see me at present. . . . Eh, M"ria? What"s your version?"
Mrs Penhaligon burst into tears; and then, as her husband jumped up to console her, started to scold the children furiously for dawdling over breakfast, when goodness knew, with their clothes in such a state, how long it would take to get them ready for Chapel.
The children understood and gulped down the rest of their breakfast hastily, while their mother turned to the fireplace and set the saucepan hissing again. Having finished this second fry, she tipped the cooked eggs on to the dish, and swept the youngsters off to be t.i.ttivated.
Nicky-Nan and his host ate in a constrained silence. Nicky, though ravenous, behaved politely, and only accepted a fifth egg under strong pressure.
"Curious caper, this o" Germany"s," said Mr Penhaligon, by way of making conversation. "But our Navy"s all right."
"Sure," Nicky-Nan agreed.
"I"ve been studyin" the papers, though--off an" on. The Kaiser"s been layin" up for this, these years past: and by my reck"nin" "tis goin" to be a long business. . . . I don"t tell the Missus _that_, you"ll understand? But I"d take it friendly if you kept an eye on "em, as a naybour. . . . O" course "tis settled we must clear out from here."
"I don"t see it," said Nicky-Nan, pursing his lips.
"Pamphlett"s a strong man. What he wants he thinks he"s bound to have--same as these Germans."
"He won"t, then: nor they neither."
"Tis a pity about your leg, anyway," said Mr Penhaligon sympathetically, and stared about the room. "Life"s a queer business," he went on after a pause, his eyes fixed on the old beam whence the key depended. "To think that I be eatin" the last meal in this old kitchen. An" yet so many have eaten meals here an" warmed theirselves in their time. Yet all departed afore us! . . .
But anyway you"ll be hereabouts: an" that"ll be a cheerin" kind o"
thought, o" lonely nights--that you"ll be hereabouts, with your eye on "em."
He lit a pipe and, whilst puffing at it, p.r.i.c.ked up his ears to the sound of wheels down the street. The brakes were arriving at the bridge-end. He suggested that--his own kit being ready--they should stroll down together for a look. Nicky-Nan did not dare to refuse.
The young Custom-house Officer, as he caught sight of Penhaligon approaching in uniform, slipped down from the parapet of the bridge, and sorted out his summons from the pile of blue papers in his hand.
"That"s all right, my billy," Penhaligon a.s.sured him. "Don"t want no summons, more"n word that His Majesty has a use for me."
"Your allotment paper"ll be made out when you get to St Martin"s, or else aboard ship."
"Right. A man takes orders in these days."
"But go back and fetch your kit," advised the Chief Officer of Coastguard, who had strolled up. "The brake"ll be arriving in ten minutes." He paid Nicky-Nan the attention of a glance--no more.
While Penhaligon was away, kissing his wife and family and bidding them farewell (good man!) in tones unnaturally confident and robustious, the last brake rattled up to the bridge-end with a clatter. The whole town had a.s.sembled by this time, a group about each cheerful hero.
It was a scene that those who witnessed it remembered through many trying days to come. They knew not at all why their country should be at war. Over the harbour lay the usual Sabbath calm: high on the edge of the uplands stood the outposts of the corn, yellowing to harvest: over all the a.s.sured G.o.d of their fathers reigned in the August heaven. Not a soul present had ever harboured one malevolent thought against a single German. Yet the thing had happened: and here, punctually summoned, the men were climbing on board the brakes, laughing, rallying their friends left behind--all going to slay Germans.
The Custom-house Officer moved about from one brake to another, calling out names and distributing blue papers. "Nicholas Nanjivell!"
There was a shout of laughter as Nicky-Nan put his best face upon it and limped forward. "Why, the man"s no use. Look at his leg!"
The young officer scanned Nicky, suspiciously at first.
"Well, you"ll have to take your paper anyway," said he--and Nicky took it. "You"d best see the doctor and get a certificate."
The two officers climbed in at the tail of the hindmost brake, and the drivers waved their whips for a cheer, which was given. As the procession started, all on board waved their caps and broke out singing. They were Cornish-men and knew no music-hall songs--"It"s a long way to Tipperary" or anything of the sort. Led by a fugleman in the first brake, they started--singing it in fine harmonies--
"He"s the Lily--of the Valley, O--my--soul!"
So the first batch of men from Polpier were rattled through the street and away up the hill. The crowd lingered awhile and dispersed, gossiping, to Church or Chapel.
Nicky-Nan, seated on the parapet of the bridge, unfolded the blue paper which the young officer had thrust into his hand. He was alone and could study it at leisure.
It was headed by the Royal Arms, and it ran as follows:--
R.V. 53.
Actual Service Form.
From To The Registrar of Naval Reserve, Royal Navy Reserve Man, Port of Troy. NICHOLAS NANJIVELL, Polpier.
NOTICE TO MEN OF ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE TO JOIN THE ROYAL NAVY.
HIS MAJESTY THE KING having issued His Proclamation calling into Active Service, under the Act 22 & 23 Vict. c. 40, the ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE FORCE in which you are enrolled, you are required to report yourself at once in uniform and with your Certificate R.V. 2 at 12 noon o"clock on August 2nd at the Custom House, St Martin"s, Cornwall.
You will be forthwith despatched to the Naval Depot and should bring with you any necessary articles.
Should absence from home prevent your receiving this notice in time to attend at once or at the hour specified, you should on its receipt proceed forthwith to the Mercantile Marine Office named.
Failure to report yourself without delay will render you liable to arrest as a Deserter.
Note.--Reasonable expenses incurred in travelling from your home will be allowed.
By command, Joshua Johns, Registrar.
Dated this Second day of August 1914.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FIRST SERMON.