Tuppence went over the stile into the churchyard, peaceful in the evening sun, and began to examine the tombstones as she had promised. She had not really had any ulterior motive in doing so. There was nothing here she hoped to discover. It was really just kindliness on her part. The elderly vicar was rather a dear, and she would like him to feel that his conscience was entirely satisfied. She had brought a notebook and pencil with her in case there was anything of interest to note down for him.
She presumed she was merely to look for a gravestone that might have been put up commemorating the death of some child of the required age. Most of the graves here were of an older date. They were not very interesting, not old enough to be quaint or to have touching or tender inscriptions. They were mostly of fairly elderly people. Yet she lingered a little as she went along, making mental pictures in her mind. Jane Elwood, departed this life January the 6th, aged 45. William Marl, departed this life January the 5th, deeply regretted. Mary Treves, five years old. March 14th 1835. That was too far back.
‘In thy presence is the fulness of joy.’ Lucky little Mary Treves.
She had almost reached the far wall now. The graves here were neglected and overgrown, nobody seemed to care about this bit of the cemetery. Many of the stones were no longer upright but lay about on the ground. The wall here was damaged and crumbling. In places it had been broken down.
Being right behind the church, it could not be seen from the road – and no doubt children came here to do what damage they could. Tuppence bent over one of the stone slabs – The original lettering was worn away and unreadable – But heaving it up sideways, Tuppence saw some coarsely scrawled letters and words, also by now partly overgrown.
She stopped to trace them with a forefinger, and got a word here and there Whoever … offend… one of these little ones.
Millstone… Millstone… Millstone… and below – in uneven cutting by an amateur hand:
Here lies Lily laters.
Tuppence drew a deep breath – She was conscious of a shadow behind her, but before she could turn her head something hit her on the back of her head and she fell forwards on to the tombstone into pain and darkness.
CHAPTER 10 A Conference – and After
‘Well, Beresford,’ said Major-General Sir Josiah Penn, K.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., speaking with the weight appropriate to the impressive stream of letters after his name. ‘Well, what do you think of all that yackety-yack?’
Tommy gathered by that remark that Old Josh, as he was irreverently spoken of behind his hack, was not impressed with the result of the course of the conferences in which they had been taking part.
Softly, soffiy catchee monkey,’ said Sir Josiah, going on with his remarks. ‘A lot of talk and nothing said. If anybody does say anything sensible now and then, about four beanstalks immediately get up and howl it down. I don’t know why we come to these things. At least, I do know. I know why I do.
Nothing else to do. If I didn’t come to these shows, I’d have to stay at home. Do you know what happens to me there? I get bullied, Beresford. Bullied by my housekeeper, bullied by my gardener. He’s an elderly Scot and he won’t so much as let me touch my own peaches. So I come along here, throw my weight about and pretend to myself that I’m performing a useful function, ensuring the security of this country! Stuff and noBsense.
‘What about you? You’re a relatively young man. What do you come and waste your time for? Nobody’il listen to you, even if you do say something worth hearing.’
Tommy, faintly amused that despite his own, as he consi-dered, advanced age, he could be regarded as a youngster by Major-General Sir Josiah Penn, shook his head! The General must be, Tommy thought, considerably past eighty, he was rather deaf, heavily bronchial, but he was nobody’s fool.
‘Nothing would ever get done at all if you weren’t here, sir,’ said Tommy. ‘I like to think so,’ said the General. ‘I’m a toothless bulldog – but I can still bark. How’s Mrs Tommy? Haven’t seen her for a long time.’ Tommy replied that Tuppence was well and active.