第5部分(第7/7 頁)

names。

There　was　a　lull。

〃I　don't　believe　as　anybody　could　keep　it　in　their　head；〃　the

woman…servant　continued；　tentatively。

〃What？〃　he　asked。

〃Why；　'er　name。〃

〃How's　that？〃

〃She's　fra　some　foreign　parts　or　other。〃

〃Who　told　you　that？〃

〃That's　all　I　do　know；　as　she　is。〃

〃An'　wheer　do　you　reckon　she's　from；　then？〃

〃I　don't　know。　They　do　say　as　she　hails　fra　th'　Pole。　I　don't

know；〃　Tilly　hastened　to　add；　knowing　he　would　attack　her。

〃Fra　th'　Pole；　why　do　you　hail　fra　th'　Pole？　Who　set

up　that　menagerie　confabulation？〃

〃That's　what　they　say……I　don't　know〃

〃Who　says？〃

〃Mrs。　Bentley　says　as　she's　fra　th'　Pole……else　she　is　a

Pole；　or　summat。〃

Tilly　was　only　afraid　she　was　landing　herself　deeper　now。

〃Who　says　she's　a　Pole？〃

〃They　all　say　so。〃

〃Then　what's　brought　her　to　these　parts？〃

〃I　couldn't　tell　you。　She's　got　a　little　girl　with　her。〃

〃Got　a　little　girl　with　her？〃

〃Of　three　or　four；　with　a　head　like　a　fuzz…ball。〃

〃Black？〃

〃White……fair　as　can　be；　an'　all　of　a　fuzz。〃

〃Is　there　a　father；　then？〃

〃Not　to　my　knowledge。　I　don't　know。〃

〃What　brought　her　here？〃

〃I　couldn't　say；　without　th'　vicar　axed　her。〃

〃Is　the　child　her　child？〃

〃I　s'd　think　so……they　say　so。〃

〃Who　told　you　about　her？〃

〃Why；　Lizzie……a…Monday……we　seed　her　goin'

past。〃

〃You'd　have　to　be　rattling　your　tongues　if　anything　went

past。〃

Brangwen　stood　musing。　That　evening　he　went　up　to　Cossethay

to　the　〃Red　Lion〃；　half　with　the　intention　of　hearing　more。

She　was　the　widow　o