The Obstacle Race | Page 7

the words. "He's something of a
scholar then!"
"Oh, no," said Mrs. Rickett. "It's only the village school, miss. Mr.
Fielding got him the post. They're an unruly set of varmints here, but he
keeps order among 'em. He's quite clever, as you might say, but no, he
ain't a scholard. He goes in for games, you know, football and the like,
tries to teach 'em to play like gentlemen, which he never will, for
they're a low lot, them shore people, and that dirty! Well, he makes 'em
bathe every day in the summer whether they likes it or whether they
don't. Oh, he does his best to civilize 'em, and all them fisher chaps

thinks a deal of him too. They've got a club in the village what Mr.
Fielding built for 'em, and he goes along there and gives 'em musical
evenings and jollies 'em generally. They'll do anything for him, bless
you. But he tells 'em off pretty straight sometimes. They'll take it from
him, you see, because they respects him."
"I thought the parson always did that sort of thing," said Juliet.
Mrs. Rickett uttered a brief, expressive snort. "He ain't much
use--except for the church. He's old, you see, and he don't understand
'em. And he's scared at them chaps what works the lead mines over at
High Shale. It's all in this parish, you know. And they are a horrid
rough lot, a deal worse than the fisher-folk. But Dick he don't mind 'em.
And he can do anything with 'em too, plays his banjo and sings and
makes 'em laugh. The mines belong to the Farringmore family, you
know--Lord Wilchester owns 'em. But he never comes near, and a'
course the men gets discontented and difficult. And they're a nasty
drinking lot too. Why, the manager--that's Mr. Ashcott--he's at his wit's
end sometimes. But Dick--oh, Dick can always handle 'em, knows 'em
inside and out, and their wives too. Yes, he's very clever is Dick. But
he's thrown away in this place. It's a pity, you know. If it weren't for
Robin, it's my belief that he'd be a great man. He's a born leader. But
he's never had a chance, and it don't look like as if he ever will now,
poor fellow!"
Mrs. Rickett ended mournfully and picked up Juliet's empty plate.
"How old is he?" asked Juliet.
"Oh, he's a lot past thirty now, getting too old to turn his hand to
anything new. Mr. Fielding he's always on to him about it, but it don't
make no difference. He'll never take up any other work while Robin
lives. And Robin is stronger nor what he used to be, all thanks to Dick's
care. He's just sacrificed everything to that boy, you know. It don't
seem hardly right, do it?"
"I don't know," Juliet said slowly. "Some sacrifices are worth while."

Mrs. Rickett looked a little puzzled. There was something about this
young lodger of hers that she could not quite fathom, but since she
'liked the looks of her' she did not regard this fact as a serious
drawback.
"Well, there's some folks as thinks one way and some another," she
conceded. "My husband always says as there's quite a lot of good in
Robin if he's treated decent. He's often round here at the forge. That's
how he come to get so fond of my Freddy. You ain't seen Freddy yet,
miss. He's a bit shy like with strangers, but he soon gets over it."
"You must bring him in to see me," said Juliet.
Mrs. Rickett beamed. "I will, miss, I will. I'll bring him in with the
pudding. P'raps if you was to give him a little bit he wouldn't be shy.
He's very fond of gingerbread pudding."
"I wish I were!" sighed Juliet, as her landlady's portly form disappeared.
"I shall certainly have to have a cigarette after it, and then there will
only be one left! Oh, dear, why was I brought up among the
flesh-pots?" She broke off with a sudden irresistible laugh, and rising
went to the window. Someone was sauntering down the road on the
other side of the high privet hedge. There came to her a whiff of
cigarette-smoke wafted on the sea-breeze. She leaned forth, and at the
gap by the gate caught a glimpse of a trim young man in blue serge
wearing a white linen hat. She scarcely saw his face as he passed, but
she had a fleeting vision of the cigarette.
"I wonder where you get them from," she murmured wistfully. "I
believe I could get to like that brand, and they can't be as expensive as
mine."
The door opened behind her, and she turned back smiling to greet the
ginger pudding and Freddy.
CHAPTER