‘Look, this ain’t a vote to strike or not to strike,’ said the plaintive female voice of Virgo. ‘I be the Maiden, and I says we should ought to let this other maiden go, and then get on with our business.’
‘If maiden ’er be. Didn’t seem so very sure of it, to my way of thinkin’,’ said Cancer, in disagreeable tones. ‘Howsomever, what about knockin’ off for some eats and a bit of a booze up? Seems a pity all them vittles settin’ there doin’ no good to no one all this time, and as we’ve made a stoppage, though unforeseen….’
‘Fair enough. Let’s all knock off and ’ave a nosh-up,’ said the youngest voice which Fenella had heard so far. It came from Aries, and again she fancied she knew who he was. For some reason, this gave her confidence and restored her courage. After all, these people were only harmless villagers, she remembered. She stood up and faced them.
‘Well, I’d better say goodnight. I – I hope you enjoy your party,’ she said, in the most friendly and impersonal tone she could manage to adopt, ‘and I’m still very sorry for the interruption.’
‘We did ought to swear her,’ said Taurus, ‘before us let her go away from here.’
‘Don’t talk so foolish,’ said Sagittarius. ‘Only parson, bein’ the Church, or squire (and he’s dead), bein’ the Bench, can do any good by swearin’ folks, Brother. Wench wouldn’t reckon to keep no word she might swear to us, anyway, and why the devil should she? Us ain’t authorised to swear folks to their own undoin’.’
‘Really, you know,’ said Fenella, ‘there wouldn’t be any point if you did swear me. I mean, there’s nothing I could talk to anyone about. I’ve seen you in your fancy dresses, and very original and amusing I think they are, and if there’s a procession tomorrow I do hope I’ll still be here in time to see it. Apart from that, all I know is that you’ve been having a friendly game of cards. I’m sure it was friendly. I mean, I didn’t see anybody trump anybody’s ace, or revoke, or argue, or anything. Apart from that, well, I just do hope you enjoy your supper, and I wish you a very happy May-Day. And now, please, may I take my book? I’m sure you don’t want me to keep you any longer from your feast.’
It was a longish speech, and, under the circumstances, she felt, a rather bold one. The youthful Aries seemed to be in agreement with the first of these opinions and commented briefly and bitterly on the length of her oration.
‘Women’s tongues!’ he said disgustedly. ‘Let’s have done and get shut of her. My tongue’s fair hangin’ out, with all the fug in ’ere, and them candles smokin’ and stinkin’, and all of us, ’specially they women, spillin’ all this yap about sommat as never ought to ’ave ’appened if things ’ad been organised like what I said they’d ought to be. Come on, now! Who’s for the nosh and the booze?’
‘Not so fast, young Brother,’ said Leo. ‘You pipe down and let your elders have the say.’ He turned to Fenella. ‘Before you takes your book – if so be that’s really what you come bustin’ in for, and not to spy on us worshipful company of brothers and sisters – you’ll answer some questions as I be about to put to ee. Now, then: answer me boldly.’
‘Very well,’ said Fenella, her heart beginning to beat a little faster, ‘but please don’t ask me again whether I’m a virgin. It’s insulting – and it’s certainly none of your business. Anyhow, to save you trouble, I may tell you that I’m going to be married next week.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Virgo, giggling. ‘By custom in this village, you don’t fare to be a virgin then, I reckon. Any road, one of us virgins be enough in this room at one and the same time, I reckon.’
‘Who be you miscallin’ out of ’er virtue, then, Sister?’ demanded the female half of Gemini, in a belligerent tone.
‘Pardon, I’m sure,’ said Virgo, in a mincing voice. ‘Allus ready to give anybody the benefit of the doubt, that’s me. Broadminded, if you sees what I mean.’
‘Now, see here, you two,’ broke in Leo, ‘us don’t want nothing of that. Kindly bear time and place in mind. Time presses, and place been sanctified against you all knows what. There’s business to be done and, so far, cards haven’t helped us to come to no conclusions. Squire’s death may be providential in many ways, but substitution is ticklish work, as you should all know if you uses a bit of commonsense.’
‘Well, us never been faced with this sittiation before,’ said Aquarius. ‘No wonder women’s nerves can’t stand the strain of it.’
‘Didn’t you tell us as how your grandfather was one of them as helped to cast the cards?’ asked Capricorn.
‘Ah, but they was luckier nor us, I reckon,’ the old man replied. ‘All they asked of the cards was which, and not who. There was the scarlet fever about awful bad when old squire was a young man, so, you see, it was nobbut a question of seein’ how the cards fell out for one and another, and who should be buried and who should be translated. Of course, I be talkin’ of old squire, not him as is to be buried tomorrer—’
‘Have done, Brother,’ said Leo. ‘While you be maunderin’, business is bein’ ’eld up. And you,’ he added, turning on Fenella with something not far short of ferocity, ‘you take your domn’ book or whatever it was you come for, and not a word of anything you seen or heard in this room! Ancient customs don’t concern painted Jezebels.’
‘Oh, now, really!’ protested Fenella, facing him; but the eyes which stared into hers from the lion’s mask were
