Филиппа Карр - The pool of St Branok

The pleasure of the fair had gone. That was how it was. Memory came up suddenly ... as that man had come to the pool ... and the pleasure in the day was spoilt.

I was glad when Grace said there was no time to have our fortunes told. She said: "We must start for home now."

And we left the fair. As we walked away the sound of the fiddlers grew fainter but we could hear them singing:

Come lasses and lads Get leave of your dads And away to the maypole hie For every he has got him a she And a fiddler standing by ...

Jack was disappointed at leaving the fair. He had expressed his displeasure and demanded to know why we could not stay. Grace explained that we must get back before dark. Jack never sulked for long and in a few minutes he was himself again. He had a very lovable nature.

The gypsy was sitting by the side of the road. She had a basket full of clothes pegs beside her and I was not sure whether she was coming from or going to the fair.

"Good day to 'ee, ladies and little gent," she said.

"Good day," we replied.

"How would you like the gypsy to give you a nice fortune?"

I heard Morwenna murmur: "Oh yes. Oh, Miss Gilmore, may I?"

Grace hesitated, but Morwenna turned such a happy face to her that she was unable to resist.

"All right then, dear. But we mustn't stay long."

"Cross the gypsy's hand in silver," said the woman.

Morwenna drew back. "Oh ... I don't think I have enough." She produced some coins.

"Well, seeing as you be such a nice little lady, I'll take what you've got. Wouldn't want to disappoint a little love like you."

Morwenna dimpled prettily and held out her hand.

"Oh, I see a long and happy life. You're going to have great good fortune, you are. You're going up to London to see the Queen ... when you're a little older, that is ... and there you are going to find a rich husband and live happy ever after."

It seemed very little for all the money Morwenna had left; and I knew she had wanted to buy a pink sugar mouse and had hesitated because she had thought it too costly. It was very likely that Morwenna might go up to London for a season when she grew older and the object would be to find a suitable husband for her.

She turned to me. "And you, me 'andsome. There's a nice fortune for 'ee, I can see."

She had taken my hand. I was terribly afraid. Was it written there? Was she seeing the pool and that inert body ... those eyes staring at us as the head disappeared?

"Naught to be frightened at, lovey. Tis all fair and smiling for a little lass like you. You're going to London, too. Perhaps you'll go with your little ..." She was trying to decide on our relationship and added: "... little companion." Then I felt that if she didn't know who Morwenna was she would not know about the pool.

Now she turned her attention to Grace.

"Life writes as it goes along," she said. "There'll be more to be seen, little lady, when you be a few years older. And now, my lady, it be your turn." She had taken Grace's hand.

"No," said Grace, "I don't think ..."

The gypsy was looking at her intently. "Oh, there be trouble 'ere ... deep sorrow ..." Grace had turned pale. The woman went on: "I can see water ... water between you and what you desire ..."

I felt myself go limp with apprehension. It was clear to me that she had thought the fortunes of young girls—as she regarded Morwenna and me— were not worth telling. Little did she know! I had a vague idea how this fortune-telling was done. There was a good deal of chance in it, I had no doubt, but I did believe that flashes of truth occasionally emerged; and if something really violent had happened ... it might be possible to detect it. I felt that she may have seen something in my hand which she could not explain. Who would have thought that a girl of my age could be involved in such an experience; and she was transferring it to Grace.

"You will be strong," she was saying. "You will overcome."

The gypsy seemed a little shaken. Her eyes were fixed on Grace's face.

Grace withdrew her hand. "Well ... thank you ..."

"It's trouble ... trouble ... but nature made you strong. You will overcome. All will be well. You'll find happiness in the end."

Grace opened her purse and gave the woman money.

"Come on," she said. "We shall be late back and that will not do."

The gypsy was silent. She slipped the money into her pocket and sat down.

We walked away.

"We should never have stopped," said Grace. "It was a lot of nonsense."

"It cost a lot of money," commented Jack. "You could have bought six slices of gingerbread and a pink pig with what you gave her."

"It was rather silly of us," admitted Grace. Her voice was cold and her face looked different somehow.

She might say it was a lot of nonsense but I believed the gypsy had frightened her.

I looked over my shoulder. The woman was still seated by the side of the road staring after us.

I told my mother of the encounter.

"She promised Morwenna and me that we should go to London and find rich husbands."

"You'll have to go up for a season, but that's some time away. And as to the rich husband ... we'll have to wait and see."

"I think she rather upset Miss Gilmore. She talked about some trouble."

"One doesn't take any notice of them."

"Not unless they tell you something nice."

"That's the idea," said my mother, smiling. "By the way, soon we shall be going to London. I've been talking to Grace about new clothes. She says she could make them. I wonder if she could. One doesn't want to look countrified. What passes here might look a little dowdy in London. But I thought we might give her a try with the blue linen. It's just the color for you."

Grace was very anxious to try with the linen. She came to my room with some patterns which she wanted to discuss with me, and she had the blue linen with her.

She said: "I thought we'd have a little piping round the sleeves ... as it is in this pattern. Don't you think that would look nice? I think a lightish brown ... very light ... would look effective."

"Yes, perhaps," I said. "I have a scarf which I think would be just the right color to match up with the blue. It will be in that drawer behind you."

"May I?" she said, opening the drawer.

There was a short silence. She was staring at something in the drawer. She picked up the ring I had found at the pool. I had put it there when I came home and forgotten all about it.

"This gold ring ..." she said. "Is it yours?"

I felt uneasiness gripping me as it always did when there was any reference to that day.

"Oh ..." I stammered. I held out my hand for the ring. "I ... I found it."

"Found it? Where?"

"It ... was when I had my accident. I remember it now. I picked it up without thinking."

"On the beach?"

I did not answer. I ruffled my brows as though trying to remember ... although I recalled perfectly well every detail of that fearful time.

"What? When you fell?"

"Y-yes ... it must have been. I fell ... and there was the ring."

"On the beach," she repeated. "And you picked it up then. Why?"

"I don't know. I always pick up things. I suppose I do it without thinking .. . It's difficult to remember ... I must have seen the ring and picked it up and put it in my pocket."

"It's rather a nice one," she said. "It is gold, I think. What are you going to do with it?"

"Oh ... nothing."

"You didn't think of returning it to its owner."

"I don't know whose it is. I shouldn't think any of the fishermen have a ring and it wouldn't be theirs because they don't come to that part of the beach. It might have been there a long time. Some visitor lost it I expect and it's so long ago they've forgotten about it."

"If you don't want it ... may I have it?"