Shakespeare's Christmas, and other storiesQuiller-Couch, Arthur
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Shakespeare's Christmas, and other stories
Quiller-Couch, Arthur
English fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, English
The corpse was an old man called 'Pollas Hockaday; and Sam Trewhella,
a fish-curer that had married Hockaday's eldest daughter, walked next
behind the coffin as chief mourner. My grandfather waited by the gate
for the procession to come by, and with that Trewhella caught sight of
him, and, says he, taking down the handkerchief from his nose--
"Well, you're a pretty fellow, I must say! What in thunder d'ee mean by
not tolling the minute-bell?"
"Take 'en back," answers my grandfather, pointing to the coffin. "Take
'en back, 'co!"
"Eh?" says Trewhella. "Answer my question, I tell 'ee. You've hurt my
feelings and the feelings of everyone connected with the deceased: and
if this weren't not-azackly the place for it, I'd up and give you a
dashed good hiding," says he.
"Aw, take 'en back," my grandfather goes on. "Take 'en back, my dears,
and put 'en somewhere, cool and temporary! The grave's not digged, and
the Parson's kidnapped, and the French be upon us, and down by the
river ther's a furrin spy taking soundings at this moment! In the name
of King George," said he, remembering that he was constable, "I command
you all except the females to come along and collar 'en!"
* * * * *
While this was going on, Sir, Bligh had found his boat--which he'd left
by the shore--and was pulling up the river to work off his rage. Ne'er
a thought had he, as he flounced through the churchyard, of the train
of powder he dribbled behind him: but all the way he blew off steam,
cursing Parson Polwhele and the whole cloth from Land's End to Johnny
Groats, and glowering at the very gates by the road as though he wanted
to kick 'em to relieve his feelings. But when he reached his boat
and began rowing, by little and little the exercise tamed him. With
his flags and whitewash he'd marked out most of the lines he wanted
for soundings: but there were two creeks he hadn't yet found time to
explore--Porthnavas, on the opposite side, and the very creek by which
we're sitting. So, as he came abreast of this one, he determined to
have a look at it; and after rowing a hundred yards or so, lay on his
oars, lit his pipe, and let his boat drift up with the tide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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