Chapter 35 The Watch at Two, Again

Gild came to the yard at two in the morning on the hundred-and-seventieth day, and he came with the mud on his boots, and he came to the yard gate, and he stood at the gate, and he said, "I have stayed." "I have a hall," said Kessin. "I have stayed," said Gild. "Where," said Kessin. "At the old farm," said Gild. "At the old farm," said Kessin. "Then you have the fence," said Kessin. "Then I have the fence," said Gild. "Then the hall has the fence," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the fence," said Gild. "Then the hall has the watch," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the watch," said Gild. Peth came in at the hall door with his case, and he heard the wheel, and he went out to the yard, and he saw Gild at the gate, and he said, "You have stayed." "I have stayed," said Gild. "You have stayed for a year," said Peth. "I have stayed for a year," said Gild. "Then you have the fence," said Peth. "Then I have the fence," said Gild. "Then the hall has the fence," said Peth. "Then the hall has the fence," said Gild. "Then the hall has the watch," said Peth. "Then the hall has the watch," said Gild. "Then the hall has the night," said Peth. "Then the hall has the night," said Gild. At four he got up and he took his hat and he put it on, and he stood at the foot of the wheel, and he looked at the road, and he did not say anything, and Kessin stood at the foot of the yard wall with the ledger, and the lamp was on the table inside, and the vapour came up off the grass, and the road was dark, and the moon was over the hedge. "At four," said Kessin. "At four," said Gild. He walked the road, and he walked the road to the crossing and the road to the bridge, and he walked the road back to the yard, and he came back at seven, and he sat on the wheel, and he put his hat on the wheel, and Kessin came out to the yard, and the vapour was gone, and the grass was wet, and the road was clear, and the hedge stood under the moon, and the road was the road. "Did you see anything," said Kessin. "I saw the road," said Gild. "I saw the road," said Kessin. "Did you see anything on the road," said Kessin. "I saw the road and the mud and the hedge and the crossing and the bridge," said Gild. "And I saw nothing else, because there was nothing else." "Then there was nothing else," said Kessin. "Then there was nothing else," said Gild. "And that is the watch." "That is the watch," said Kessin. At half eight he got up and he put his hat on, and he went in to the hall, and he sat at the table, and Kessin put the bread on the table, and Turrel put the coffee on, and he ate the bread, and he drank the coffee, and he did not say anything, and the boy came in at eight with his case and he sat down across from him, and he ate the bread, and he drank the coffee, and he did not speak, and neither of them spoke to the other. "He has the watch," said Peth, to no one. "He has the watch," said Kessin. "He has the watch for a year," said Peth. "He has the watch for a year," said Kessin. "Then he has the tally," said Peth. "Then he has the tally," said Kessin. She took the pen from the cup and she took the ledger, and she wrote on the page, and she wrote: Gild Ingelbeck, watch at two, from the old farm to the yard, one year, band, now tally. Fare: one crown at the end of the month. She put the pen down, and Gild looked at the ledger, and he said, "Band, now tally." "Band, now tally," said Kessin. "Then I am tally," said Gild. "Then you are tally," said Kessin. "Then I am tally," said Gild. "And the hall has two tallies." "Then the hall has two tallies," said Kessin. "Then the hall has a band and two tallies," said Gild. "Then the hall has a band and two tallies," said Kessin. "Then the hall has two ranks," said Gild. "Then the hall has two ranks," said Kessin. He put his hat on and he took the wheel, and he went out through the gate, and the gate opened and closed behind him, and the sound of it went out into the lane, and the road was dark, and the yard was quiet, and the board had twelve cards on it, and the tenth was white, and the hall had two tallies, and the hall was the hall. Turrel came out from the kitchen with the lamp and the cloth, and she took the cup from the table, and she wiped the wood, and she said, "He has the watch." "He has the watch," said Kessin. "He has the watch for a year," said Turrel. "He has the watch for a year," said Kessin. "He has the watch at two," said Turrel. "He has the watch at two," said Kessin. "He has the watch at four," said Turrel. "He has the watch at four," said Kessin. "He has the watch at seven," said Turrel. "He has the watch at seven," said Kessin. "He has the watch at the road," said Turrel. "He has the watch at the road," said Kessin. "He has the watch at the crossing," said Turrel. "He has the watch at the crossing," said Kessin. "He has the watch at the bridge," said Turrel. "He has the watch at the bridge," said Kessin. "He has the watch at the hall," said Turrel. "He has the watch at the hall," said Kessin. "He has the watch at the night," said Turrel. "He has the watch at the night," said Kessin. "And he has the tally." "Then he has the tally," said Turrel. "Then the hall has two tallies," said Turrel. "Then the hall has two tallies," said Kessin. "Then the hall has a band and two tallies," said Turrel. "Then the hall has a band and two tallies," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the ranks," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the ranks," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the road," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the road," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the lane," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the lane," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the boy," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the boy," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the eels," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the eels," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the salt," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the salt," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the bread," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the bread," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the debt paid," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the debt paid," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the spring," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the spring," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the seventh name on the road," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the seventh name on the road," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the card," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the card," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the white card," said Turrel. "Then the hall has the white card," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the seventh card," said Turrel. "Then the hall has that seventh card," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the seventh name coming," said Turrel. "Then the seventh name is walking toward the hall," said Kessin. "Then the hall has two years of work to go," said Turrel. "Then the hall has two years left to work," said Kessin. "Then the hall is the hall," said Turrel. "Then the hall is the hall," said Kessin. ---