第34章 The Tally for Wist

Wist came to the yard gate on the hundred-and-sixty-third day, and he came with his satchel, and he came with his hat, and he came with a basket of eels, and the eels were alive, and he set the basket on the yard wall, and he took his hat off, and he said, "I have the eels." "I have a hall," said Kessin. "I have the eels," said Wist. "The eels are alive," said Kessin. "The eels are alive," said Wist. "Then the hall has the eels," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the eels," said Wist. "Then the hall has a card," said Kessin. "Then the hall has a card," said Wist. "He has walked the eels for eleven months," said Peth, from the bench, with the case on his lap. "He has walked the eels for eleven months," said Kessin. "He has walked the eels in the frost, and the eels were alive," said Peth. "The eels were alive," said Kessin. "He has walked the eels in the rain, and the eels were alive," said Peth. "The eels were alive," said Kessin. "He has walked the eels in the mud, and the eels were alive," said Peth. "The eels were alive," said Kessin. "He has walked the eels in the spring, and the eels were alive," said Peth. "The eels were alive," said Kessin. "Then the eels are the eels," said Peth. "Then the eels are the eels," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the eels," said Peth. "Then the hall has the eels," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the tally," said Peth. "Then the hall has the tally," said Kessin. Turrel came out from the kitchen with the lamp and the cloth, and she took the basket from the yard wall, and she opened the lid, and she looked at the eels, and the eels were alive, and they were moving, and she said, "They are alive." "They are alive," said Kessin. "They are alive," said Turrel. "And they are well." "They are well," said Kessin. "Then Wist has the eels," said Turrel. "Wist has the eels," said Kessin. "Then Wist has the tally," said Turrel. "Wist 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: Wist Fennimore, eleven months of eels, from the crossing to Gillanwick and back, band, now tally. Fare: one crown, and supper. She put the pen down, and she looked at Wist, and Wist looked at the ledger, and he said, "Band, now tally." "Band, now tally," said Kessin. "Then I am tally," said Wist. "Then you are tally," said Kessin. "Then I am tally," said Wist. "And the hall has a tally." "Then the hall has a tally," said Kessin. "Then the hall has a band, and a tally, and a watch, and a boy, and a cart, and a donkey," said Wist. "Then the hall has all of it," said Kessin. "He has walked the eels for eleven months," said Peth. "He has walked the eels for eleven months," said Kessin. "Then he has walked the eels for a year," said Peth. "Then he has walked the eels for a year," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the eels," said Peth. "Then the hall has the eels," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the tally," said Peth. "Then the hall has the tally," said Kessin. Wist took the bread from the table and he took the coffee from the stove, and he sat at the table, and he drank the coffee, and he ate the bread, and he did not say anything, and Kessin did not say anything, and the boy sat across from him, and the donkey came through the hall door and stood at the foot of the stove, and the yard was quiet, and the lane was the lane, and the chalk was white on the stones. "That is a tally," said Kessin, to no one. "That is a tally," said Turrel. "A tally is a rank," said Turrel. "A tally is a rank," said Kessin. "Then the hall has a rank," said Turrel. "Then the hall has a rank," said Kessin. "Then the hall has a band and a tally," said Turrel. "Then the hall has a band and a tally," said Kessin. "Then the hall has two ranks," said Turrel. "Then the hall has two ranks," said Kessin. "And the hall will have a third rank," said Turrel. "Then the hall will have a third rank," said Kessin. "No," said Turrel. "The hall will not have a third rank." "The hall will not have a third rank," said Kessin. "Then the hall has two ranks," said Turrel. "Then the hall has two ranks," said Kessin. "And the hall has two years of work to go." Peth stood at the foot of the wheel with his case, and he looked at Wist at the table, and Wist looked at Peth, and he said, "You have the chalk." "I have the chalk," said Peth. "You have the chalk," said Wist. "And the chalk is at the stone." "The chalk is at the stone," said Peth. "And the stone is at the crossing," said Wist. "The stone is at the crossing," said Peth. "And the crossing is at the eels," said Wist. "The crossing is at the eels," said Peth. "Then the eels are at the crossing," said Peth. "Then the eels are at the crossing," said Wist. "Then the eels are at the chalk," said Peth. "Then the eels are at the chalk," said Wist. "Then the eels are at the stone," said Peth. "Then the eels are at the stone," said Wist. "Then the eels are at the hall," said Peth. "Then the eels are at the hall," said Wist. "Then the hall has the eels," said Peth. "Then the hall has the eels," said Wist. "And the hall has the chalk, and the hall has the stone, and the hall has the crossing, and the hall has the lane, and the hall has the road, and the hall has the market, and the hall has the debt paid, and the hall has the band and the tally, and the hall has the spring." "Then the hall has all of it," said Kessin. "Then the hall has all of it," said Wist. "Then the hall has two years of work ahead," said Kessin. "Two years of work to go," said Wist. "And the hall has the eels." "Then the hall has the eels," said Kessin. "And the hall has the boy." "Then the hall has the boy," said Wist. "Then the hall has the eels and the boy," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the eels and the boy," said Wist. "Then the hall has the eels, and the boy, and the chalk, and the stone, and the crossing, and the lane, and the road, and the market, and the debt, and the spring, and the tally," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the tally," said Wist. "Then the hall has the tally," said Kessin. "And the hall has two years of work to go, and the hall has the seventh name on the road, and the hall has the card, and the hall has the white card, and the hall has the seventh card." "Then the hall has the seventh card," said Wist. "Then the hall holds the seventh card," said Kessin. "Then the seventh name is coming," said Wist. "Then the seventh name is coming," said Kessin. He took the bread from the table and he ate it, and he drank the coffee, and he put the cup on the table, and he took his hat and he put it on, and he took his satchel, and he said, "I will go to Gillanwick." "You will go to Gillanwick," said Kessin. "I will go to Gillanwick," said Wist. "And I will come back at seven." "You will come back at seven," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the eels," said Wist. "Then the hall has the eels," said Kessin. "And the hall has the tally." "Then the hall has the tally," said Wist. ---