The pool of St Branok

It seemed a long time before she came but it was, of course, not really so. She was prepared for this. Had we not been waiting more than two weeks for the arrival of the baby?

Mrs. Bowles turned us out of the room, keeping only Meg with her. Meg had helped bring another baby into the world very recently and Mrs. Bowles had found her useful.

Justin and Gervaise had arrived at the house. Minnie and Jacob had come too, to see if there was anything they could do.

And the vigil began.

We sat silently, waiting ... fearfully.

The time dragged on and it must have been just after midnight when Mrs. Bowles came down to us.

She said: "There's something not quite right. I want a doctor. You'll have to get Dr. Field."

"Dr. Field!" cried Ben. "He's ten miles from here."

Mrs. Bowles replied tersely: "It's necessary."

"I'll go at once," replied Ben.

He left immediately.

After he had gone we sat on in fear. I was sorry for Justin. He looked quite unlike the man I had known. He just sat staring ahead of him.

"It'll be all right," said Gervaise. "There are often these little complications."

I wanted to shout at him: What do you know of these things? Why do you always say everything will be all right? I felt irritated with him. I think it was because I had, in my thoughts, been unfaithful to him. I despised myself for this and when one does that, one likes to blame the person one has wronged. Then I was desperately worried ... and there was no room for any feeling but concern about Morwenna.

That was the most wretched period I had ever lived through. We sat waiting fearfully, wondering what was happening in the room above, starting at every sound, waiting for Mrs. Bowles to come and tell us what was happening, longing for a sight of her and fearing what news she would bring.

Meg was with Mrs. Bowles. I wanted to help but they thought that there would be too many people in the room. There was little I could do in any case, said Mrs. Bowles. If she needed me she would call. But we must wait for the doctor and pray that he would come soon.

I shall never forget poor Justin. I had not really thought he cared so much. Secretly I had wondered a great deal about his motive in marrying Morwenna and I had sometimes felt it was due to her expectations for it seemed certain that Morwenna would one day be a considerable heiress. The Pencarrons were very wealthy apart from their mine which was a most profitable concern. And everything would be for her. But it seemed now that he was genuinely distressed.

He had so longed for a son.

The hours were slipping by. It was not until dawn that Ben arrived with Dr. Field. The doctor had made himself available and they had ridden hard through the night.

He went to Morwenna at once and the waiting began again. We sat there tense and expectant.

Then Meg came down. "The doctor wants a word with Mr. Cart-wright," she said.

Justin rose at once and followed her out of the room.

And we sat on ... waiting.

Gervaise said: "What's happening, do you think?"

"I'm frightened," I told him.

"It'll be all right," he replied. "It's bound to be all right."

There was silence and the waiting went on. The tension was unendurable.

I said: "I am going to see what is happening."

Gervaise laid a hand on my arm. "You mustn't distress yourself, Angelet."

I turned away and ran out of the room.

I found Justin. He was sitting on the stairs outside the room in which Morwenna lay. His head was in his hands. I went and sat beside him.

"Justin," I said, "what is it?"

"The doctor asked me. It's all going wrong, Angelet. He said he can save the child but it could cost Morwenna her life ..."

"Oh no," I said.

He nodded. "It could be a matter of the mother or the child ... and he said that we could never have another child."

"Oh, Justin ... how terrible."

"I said he must save Morwenna ..."

"I know how much you wanted this child, Justin."

"The doctor said ... they were both in danger ... but he thought he might be able to save one."

We were silent. I thought of how Morwenna had longed for this child. She was going to be very unhappy.

I felt a great tenderness towards Justin. I was almost on the point of asking him to forgive me for mistrusting him.

And as we sat there we heard the sudden cry of a child.

Justin started up and we looked at each other.

Justin's lips formed the word: "Morwenna."

Oh no ... no ... I thought. It could not be. Justin had said save the mother.

I had heard of such choices before. Why had we come to this benighted spot! If Morwenna had been in London all the care possible would have been hers; she would have had the most practiced doctors, and the best nurses would have been attending her.

We sat on ... I could think of nothing to say to him, but my silent sympathy must have been as clear to him as words would have been.

I don't know how long we sat there. We heard the child cry again. Justin put his hand over his ears. He just sat there ... in silence.

Then the door opened and the doctor came out.

"Mr. Cartwright," he said.

Justin sprang to his feet.