Roc started the car. ” And how was the old man today?”

” He seemed to have quite recovered.”

” I believe that’s how it is with his complaint. Poor old fellow, it must be a trial for him, yet he’s cheerful enough … about his health.”

” I think he’s very brave.”

Roc gave me a quick look. ” Relations still remain friendly?”

” Of course.”

” Not everyone gets along with him so well. I’m glad you do.”

” I’m still surprised that you should be when you so obviously don’t like him.”

” The lady of the manor has always gone round visiting the sick. It’s an old custom. You’ve started well.”

” Surely the custom was to visit the sickly poor and take them soup and blankets.”

Roc burst out laughing. ” Imagine your arriving at Polhorgan with a bowl of soup and a red flannel blanket, and handing them to Dawson for the deserving millionaire!”

” This is quite a different sort of visiting anyway.”

” Is it? He wants company; they wanted comforts.

Same thing, but in a different form. No, really, darling, I’m delighted that you’re able to bring sunshine into the old man’s life.

You’ve brought such lots into mine, I can spare him a little. What do you talk about all the time? Does he tell you about his wicked family who deserted him? “

” He hasn’t mentioned his family.”

” He will. He’s waiting for the opportunity.”

” By the way,” I said, ” I heard someone playing the violin this afternoon. Who would it have been?”

” The violin?” Roc screwed up his eyes as though puzzled.

“Where?”

” I wasn’t sure where. I thought it was in the east wing.”

” Hardly anyone goes there except old Carrie. Can’t believe she’s turned virtuoso. In our youth, Morwenna and I had a few lessons. They soon discovered, in my case at least, that it was no use trying to cultivate stony ground. Morwenna wasn’t bad. But she dropped all that when she married Charles. Charles is tone-deaf—wouldn’t know a Beethoven concerto from God Save the Queen’; and Morwenna is the devoted wife. Everything that Charles thinks, she thinks; you could take her as a model, darling.”

“So you’re the only two who could play the violin?”

” Wait a minute. Rachel gave the twins lessons at one time, I believe. Lowella takes after me and is about as talented in that direction as a bull calf. Hyson, now … she’s different. I think Hyson was quite good at it.”

” It could have been Hyson or Rachel I heard playing.”

” You seem very interested. Not thinking of taking it up yourself? Or are you a secret genius? There’s a lot I don’t know about you, Favel, even though you are my wife.”

” And there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”

” What a good thing we have the rest of our lives in which to discover one another.”

As we came on to the coast road we met Rachel, and Roc slowed down the car for her to get in.

” I’ve been looking for the twins,” she told us. ” They went shrimping this afternoon, down at Tregallic Cove.”

” I hope you took advantage of your respite,” Roc said. ” I did. I went for a long walk as far as German’s Bay. I had tea there and planned to pick them up on the way back. I expect they’ve already gone home.”

” Favel thought she heard you playing the violin this afternoon.” I turned and looked at Rachel. Her expression seemed faintly scornful, her sandy eyes more sly than usual.

” You’d hardly have heard me on the road from German’s Bay.”

” It must have been Hyson, then.”

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. ” I don’t think Hyson will qualify for the concert platform, and I’d be surprised if she deserted shrimps for music.”

As we were going to the house the twins arrived, with their shrimping nets and a pail in which Lowella carried their catch. Rachel said: ” By the way. Hyson, you didn’t come back and play your violin this afternoon?”

Hyson looked bewildered.

“Whatever for?” she said. ” Your Aunt Favel thought she heard you.”

“Oh,” said Hyson thoughtfully.

“She didn’t hear me playing it.” She turned away abruptly, and I was sure it was because she didn’t want me to see that Rachel’s remark had excited her.

The next day it rained without stopping and continued through the night.

” There’s nothing unusual about that, ” “Roc told me. ” It’s another old Cornish custom. You’ll begin to understand why ours is the greenest grass in this green and pleasant land. “

The soft southwest wind was blowing, and everything one touched seemed damp.

The following day the rain was less constant, though the louring sky promised more to come. The sea was muddy brown about the shore, and farther out it was a dull greyish-green.

Roc was going off to the farm, and as I had decided that I would go along to Polhorgan to complete that unfinished game of chess, he drove me there on his way.

Lord Polhorgan was delighted to see me; we had tea as usual and played our game of chess, which he won.

He liked to have an inquest after it was over, and point out where I had given him the game. It put him in a good humour and I enjoyed it, because, after all, the purpose of my visits was to give him pleasure.

As I was leaving. Dr. Clement called. He was getting out of his car as I came out by the unicorns, and looked disappointed. ” Just leaving? ” he said.

” Yes, I’ve stayed rather longer than I meant to.”

” Mabell is very much looking forward to meeting you.”

” Tell her I’m also looking forward to it.”

” I’ll get her to telephone you.”

” Please do. How ill is Lord Polhorgan?”

Dr. Clement looked serious. ” One can never be sure with a patient in his condition. He can become seriously ill very quickly.”

” I’m glad Nurse Grey is always at hand.”

“It’s rather essential that he should have someone in attendance. Mind you …”

He did not continue, and I guessed he was about to offer a criticism of Althea Grey and changed his mind.

I smiled. ” Well, I’ll have to hurry. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

He went into the house and I made my way towards the coast road. Then I changed my mind and decided to use the short put. I had not gone far when I realised I’d been rather foolish to come, for the path was a mass of reddish-brown mud and I guessed Smugglers’ Lane would be even worse. I stood still wondering whether to turn back, but as I should have to plough through mud to do so I decided it couldn’t be much worse if I went on. My shoes were filthy by now in any case.

I had not quite reached the narrow ledge when I heard Roc’s voice. ” Favel! Stop where you are. Don’t move till I get to you

I turned sharply and saw him coming towards me.

“What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer, but coming close he put out an arm and held me tightly against him for some seconds. Then he said: ” This path is dangerous after a heavy rain. Look! Can you see the cracks in the ‘ground? Part of the cliff has collapsed. It’s unsafe even here.”

He took my arm and drew me back: the way I had come, carefully picking his steps.

When we reached the beginning of the cliff path he stopped and sighed deeply. ” I was thoroughly scared,” he said. ” It suddenly occurred to me. I came hurrying over to Polhorgan and they told me you’d just left. Look back. Can you see where the cliff-side has crumbled? Look at that heap of shale and uprooted bracken half-way down the slope.”

I saw it and shuddered.

” The narrow part is absolutely unsafe,” went on Roc. ” I’m surprised you didn’t see the notice. Come to think of it I didn’t see it myself.”

” It always says This path used at own risk.” But I thought that was for visitors who aren’t used to the cliffs. “

” After heavy rain they take that away and put up another notice: Path unsafe.” Can’t understand why it wasn’t done. ” He was frowning, and then he gave a sudden cry. ” Good lord,” he said, ” I wonder who did this? ” He stooped and picked up a board which was lying face down.

There were two muddy prongs attached to it which clearly had recently been embedded in the ground. ” I don’t see how it could have fallen.

Thank heaven I came. “

” I was going very carefully.”

” You might have managed, but … oh, my God … the risk.” He held me close to him and I was deeply touched because I knew he was anxious that I should not see how frightened he was. He stuck the notice-board into the ground and said gruffly:

” The car’s not far off. Come on! Let’s get home.”

When we drove up to the portico Morwenna was busy forking plantains from the stretch of lawn. Roc slammed the car door and shouted:

“Someone must have uprooted the danger board on the cliff path. I just stopped Favel going along it in time.”

Morwenna stood up looking startled. ” Who on earth …?” she began. ” Some kids, I expect. It ought to be reported. It suddenly occurred to me that she might go that way—and she did.”

” I’ve often been over it when the danger board’s been up.”

” There was a bad landslide,” Roc said shortly. He turned to me.

“The path shouldn’t be used until they’ve done something about it. I’m going to speak to Admiral Weston-the chairman of the local council.” Charles had come round by the side of the house; I noticed that his boots were muddy.

“Anything wrong?”

Roc repeated the story of what he seemed to regard as my narrow escape.

” Visitors,” grumbled Charles. ” I bet it’s visitors.”

” All’s well that ends well,” said Morwenna, drawing off her gardening gloves. ” I’ve had enough for to-day. I could do with a drink. What about you, Favel? I expect Roc could do with one, and Charles never says no.”