Because he was diseased with a consumption, Evan Roberts in his
thirtieth year left over being a drapery assistant and had himself hired
as a milk roundsman.
A few weeks thereafter he said to Mary, the woman whom he had promised
to wed: "How now if I had a milk-shop?"
Mary encouraged him, and searched for that which he desired; and it came
to be that on a Thursday afternoon they two met at the mouth of Worship
Street--the narrow lane that is at the going into Richmond.
"Stand here, Marri," Evan ordered. "Go in will I and have words with the
owner. Hap I shall uncover his tricks."
"Very well you are," said Mary. "Don't over-waggle your tongue. Address
him in hidden phrases."
Evan entered the shop, and as there was no one therein he made an
account of the tea packets and flour bags which were on the shelves.
Presently a small, fat woman stood beyond the counter. Evan addressed
her in English: "Are you Welsh?"
"That's what people say," the woman answered.
"Glad am I to hear you," Evan returned in Welsh. "Tell me how you was."
"A Cymro bach I see," the woman cried. "How was you?"
"Peeped did I on your name on the sign. Shall I say you are Mistress
Jinkins?"
"Iss, indeed, man."
"What about affairs these close days?"
"Busy we are. Why for you ask? Trade you do in milk?"
"Blurt did I for nothing," Evan replied.
"No odds, little man. Ach y fy, jealous other milkmen are of us. There's
nasty some people are."
"Natty shop you have. Little shop and big traffic, Mistress Jinkins?"
"Quick you are."
"Know you Tom Mathias Tabernacle Street?" Evan inquired.
"Seen him have I in the big meetings at Capel King's Cross."
"Getting on he is, for certain sure. Hundreds of pints he sells. And
groceries."
"Pwf," Mrs. Jenkins sneered. "Fulbert you are to believe him. A liar
without shame is Twm. And a cheat. Bad sampler he is of the Welsh."
"Speak I do as I hear. More thriving is your concern."
"No boast is in me. But don't we do thirty gallons?"
Evan summoned up surprise into his face, and joy. "Dear me to goodness,"
he exclaimed. "Take something must I now. Sell you me an egg."
Evan shook the egg at his ear. "She is good," he remarked.
"Weakish is the male," observed Mrs. Jenkins. "Much trouble he has in
his inside."
"Poor bach," replied Evan. "Well-well. Fair night for to-day."
"Why for you are in a hurry?"
"Woman fach, for what you do not know that I abide in Wandsworth and the
clock is late?"
Mrs. Jenkins laughed. "Boy pretty sly you are. Come you to Richmond to
buy one egg."
Evan coughed and spat upon the ground, and while he cleaned away his
spittle with a foot he said: "Courting business have I on the Thursdays.
The wench is in a shop draper."
"How shall I mouth where she is? With Wright?"
"In shop Breach she is." He spoke this in English: "So long."
In that language also did Mrs. Jenkins answer him: "Now we shan't be
long."
Narrowing his eyes and crooking his knees, Evan stood before Mary.
"Like to find out more would I," he said. "Guess did the old female that
I had seen the adfertissment."
"Blockhead you are to bare your mind," Mary admonished him.
"Why for you call me blockhead when there's no blockhead to be?"
"Sorry am I, dear heart. But do you hurry to marry me. You know that
things are so and so. The month has shown nothing."
"Shut your head, or I'll change my think altogether."
The next week Evan called at the dairy shop again.
"How was the people?" he cried on the threshold.
Mrs. Jenkins opened the window which was at the back of her, and called
out: "The boy from Wales is here, Dai."
Stooping as he moved through the way of the door, Dai greeted Evan
civilly: "How was you this day?"
"Quite grand," Evan answered.
"What capel do you go?"
"Walham Green, dear man."
"Good preach there was by the Respected Eynon Daviss the last Sabbath
morning, shall I ask? Eloquent is Eynon."
"In the night do I go."
"Solemn serious, go you ought in the mornings."
"Proper is your saying," Evan agreed. "Perform I would if I could."
"Biggish is your round, perhaps?" said Dai.
"Iss-iss. No-no." Evan was confused.
"Don't be afraid of your work. Crafty is your manner."
Evan had not anything to say.
"Fortune there is in milk," said Dai. "Study you the size of her. Little
she is. Heavy will be my loss. The rent is only fifteen bob a week. And
thirty gallons and more do I do. Broke is my health," and Dai laid the
palms of his hands on his belly and groaned.
"Here he is to visit his wench," said Mrs. Jenkins.
"You're not married now just?" asked Dai.
"Better in his pockets trousers is a male for a woman," said Mrs.
Jenkins.
"Comforting in your pockets trousers is a woman," Dai cried.
"Clap your throat," said Mrs. Jenkins. "Redness you bring to my skin."
Evan retired and considered.
"Tempting is the business," he told Mary. "Fancy do I to know more of
her. Come must I still once yet."
"Be not slothful," Mary pleaded. "Already I feel pains, and quickly the
months pass."
Then Evan charged her to watch over the shop, and to take a count of the
people who went into it. So Mary walked in the street. Mrs. Jenkins saw
her and imagined her purpose, and after she had proved her, she and Dai
formed a plot whereby many little children and young youths and girls
came into the shop. Mary numbered every one, but the number that she
gave Evan was three times higher than the proper number. The man was
pleased, and he spoke out to Dai. "Tell me the price of the shop," he
said.
"Improved has the health," replied Dai. "And not selling I don't think
am I."
"Pity that is. Great offer I have."
"Smother your cry. Taken a shop too have I in Petersham. Rachel will
look after this."
Mrs. Jenkins spoke to her husband with a low voice: "Witless you are.
Let him speak figures."
"As you want if you like then," said Dai.
"A puzzle you demand this one minute," Evan murmured. "Thirty pounds
would--"
"Light is your head," Dai cried.
"More than thirty gallons and a pram. Eighty I want for the shop and
stock."
"I stop," Evan pronounced. "Thirty-five can I give. No more and no
less."
"Cute bargainer you are. Generous am I to give back five pounds for luck
cash on spot. Much besides is my counter trade."
"Bring me papers for my eyes to see," said Evan.
Mrs. Jenkins rebuked Evan: "Hoity-toity! Not Welsh you are. Old English
boy."
"Tut-tut, Rachel fach," said Dai. "Right you are, and right and wrong is
Evan Roberts. Books I should have. Trust I give and trust I take. I have
no guile."
"How answer you to thirty-seven?" asked Evan. "No more we've got, drop
dead and blind."
He went away and related all to Mary.
"Lose the shop you will," Mary warned him. "And that's remorseful
you'll be."
"Like this and that is the feeling," said Evan.
"Go to him," Mary counseled, "and say you will pay forty-five."
"No-no, foolish that is."
They two conferred with each other, and Mary gave to Evan all her money,
which was almost twenty pounds; and Evan said to Dai: "I am not
doubtful--"
"Speak what is in you," Dai urged quickly.
"Test your shop will I for eight weeks as manager. I give you twenty
down as earnest and twenty-five at the finish of the weeks if I buy
her."
Dai and Rachel weighed that which Evan had proposed. The woman said: "A
lawyer will do this"; the man said: "Splendid is the bargain and costly
and thievish are old lawyers."
In this sort Dai answered Evan: "Do as you say. But I shall not give
money for your work. Act you honestly by me. Did not mam carry me next
my brother, who is a big preacher? Lend you will I a bed, and a dish or
two and a plate, and a knife to eat food."
At this Mary's joy was abounding. "Put you up the banns," she said.
"Lots of days there is. Wait until I've bought the place."
Mary tightened her inner garments and loosened her outer garments, and
every evening she came to the shop to prepare food for Evan, to make his
bed, and to minister to him as a woman.
Now the daily custom at the shop was twelve gallons of milk, and the tea
packets and flour bags which were on shelves were empty. Evan's anger
was awful. He upbraided Mary, and he prayed to be shown how to worst
Dai. His prayer was respected: at the end of the second week he gave Dai
two pounds more than he had given him the week before.
"Brisk is trade," said Dai.
"I took into stock flour, tea, and four tins of job biscuits," replied
Evan. "Am I not your servant?"
"Well done, good and faithful servant."
It was so that Evan bought more than he would sell, and each week he
held a little money by fraud; and matches also and bundles of firewood
and soap did he buy in Dai's name.
In the middle of the eighth week Dai came down to the shop.
"How goes it?" he asked in English.
"Fine, man. Fine." Changing his language, Evan said: "Keep her will I,
and give you the money as I pledged. Take you the sum and sign you the
paper bach."
Having acted accordingly, Dai cast his gaze on the shelves and on the
floor, and he walked about judging aloud the value of what he saw: "Tea,
three-pound-ten; biscuits, four-six; flour, four-five; firewood, five
shillings; matches, one-ten; soap, one pound. Bring you these to
Petersham. Put you them with the bed and the dishes I kindly lent you."
"For sure me, fulfil my pledge will I," Evan said.
He assembled Dai's belongings and placed them in a cart which he had
borrowed; and on the back of the cart he hung a Chinese lantern which
had in it a lighted candle. When he arrived at Dai's house, he cried:
"Here is your ownings. Unload you them."
Dai examined the inside of the cart. "Mistake there is, Evan. Where's
the stock?"
"Did I not pay you for your stock and shop? Forgetful you are."
Dai's wrath was such that neither could he blaspheme God nor invoke His
help. Removing the slabber which was gathered in his beard and at his
mouth, he shouted: "Put police on you will I."
"Away must I now," said Evan. "Come, take your bed."
"Not touch anything will I. Rachel, witness his roguery. Steal he does
from the religious."
Evan drove off, and presently he became uneasy of the evil that might
befall him were Dai and Rachel to lay their hands on him; he led his
horse into the unfamiliar and hard and steep road which goes up to the
Star and Garter, and which therefrom falls into Richmond town. At what
time he was at the top he heard the sound of Dai and Rachel running to
him, each screaming upon him to stop. Rachel seized the bridle of the
horse, and Dai tried to climb over the back of the cart. Evan bent
forward and beat the woman with his whip, and she leaped aside. But Dai
did not release his clutch, and because the lantern swayed before his
face he flung it into the cart.
Evan did not hear any more voices, and misdeeming that he had got the
better of his enemies, he turned, and, lo, the bed was in a yellow
flame. He strengthened his legs and stretched out his thin upper lip,
and pulled at the reins, saying: "Wo, now." But the animal thrust up its
head and on a sudden galloped downwards. At the railing which divides
two roads it was hindered, and Evan was thrown upon the ground. Men came
forward to lift him, and he was dead.
V