"The Chimes" (Excerpt): Read by Carlyss Peer

Her theatre credits include the Royal National Theatre's production of the Ocean at the End of the Lane and the old Vicks production of Groundhog Day . And here's a little background to Carly's reading . It's New Year's Eve and old Toby Vec , or Trotty , is feeling very low , walking the streets at dust with his hat pulled down low .

He collides with a stranger carrying a young child in the gloom , will Fern and his nine-year-old niece , lillian . Springing into action , trotty offers to let them stay at his lodgings and , with a youthful spirit again , he takes them back to where his daughter Meg immediately welcomes them in for the night .

All the while , unknown to Trotty , there are eyes looking down upon him from an ancient church tower .

I'm a poor man living in a poor place , but I can give you lodging for one night and never miss it . Come home with me here , I'll take her , cried Trotty , lifting up the child , a pretty one . I'd carry twenty times her weight and never know I'd got it . Tell me if I go too quick for you . I'm very fast , I always was .

Trotty said this , taking about six of his trotting paces to one stride of his fatigued companion and with his thin legs quivering again beneath the loady bore .

Why , she's as light , said Trotty trotting , in his speech as well as in his gate , for he couldn't bear to be thanked and dreaded a moment's pause , as light as a feather , lighter than a peacock's feather , a great deal lighter .

Here we are and here we go Round this , first turning to the right , uncle Will , and pass the pump and sharp off up the passage to the left , right opposite the public house . Here we are and here we go , cross over Uncle Will , and mind the kidney pieman at the corner . Here we are and here we go Down the muse .

Here , uncle Will , and stop at the black door with T Vec ticket porter wrote upon the board . And here we are and here we go , and here we are . Indeed , my precious Meg , surprising you With which words Trotty , in a breathless state , set the child down before his daughter in the middle of the floor .

The little visitor looked once at Meg and , doubting nothing in that face , but trusting everything she saw there , ran into her arms . Here we are and here we go , cried Trotty , running around the room and choking audibly . Here , uncle Will , here's a fire . You know why don't you come to the fire ? Oh , here we are and here we go .

Meg , my precious darling , where's the kettle ? Oh , here it is and here it goes , and it will boil in no time .

Trotty really had picked up the kettle somewhere or other in the course of his wild career and now put it on the fire , while Meg , seating the child in a warm corner , knelt down on the ground before her and pulled off her shoes and dried her wet feet on a cloth , aye .

And she laughed at Trotty too , so pleasantly , so cheerfully , that Trotty could have blessed her where she kneeled , for he had seen that when they entered she was sitting by the fire in tears . Why , father , said Meg , you're crazy tonight . I think I don't know what the bells would say to that Poor little feet , how cold they are .

Oh , they're warmer now , exclaimed the child . They're quite warm now . No , no , no , said Meg , we haven't rubbed them half enough . We're so busy , so busy , and when they're done we'll brush out the damp hair , and when that's done we'll bring some colour to the poor pale face with fresh water , and when that's done we'll be so gay and brisk and happy .

The child , in a burst of sobbing , clasped her round the neck , caressed her fair cheek with its hand and said oh , meg , oh dear Meg , toby's blessing could have done no more . Who could do more ? Why , Father" , cried Meg after a pause . Here I am and here I go , my dear" , said Trotty , good gracious me , cried Meg . He's crazy .

He's put the dear child's bonnet on the kettle and hung the lid behind the door . I didn't go for to do it , my love , said Trotty , hastily repairing his mistake .

Meg , my dear Meg looked towards him and saw that he had elaborately stationed himself behind the chair of their male visitor where , with many mysterious gestures , he was holding up the sixpence he had earned .

I see , my dear , said Trotty , as I was coming in , half an ounce of tea lying somewhere on the stairs , and I'm pretty sure there was a bit of bacon too . As I don't remember where it was exactly , I'll go myself and try to find them .

With this inscrutable artifice , toby withdrew to purchase the viands he had spoken of for ready money at Mrs Chicken Stalkers and presently came back pretending he had not been able to find them , at first in the dark . But here they are at last , said Trotty , setting out the tea . Things All correct . I was pretty sure it was tea and a rasher .

So it is , meg , my pet . If you'll just make the tea while your unworthy father toasts the bacon , we shall be ready immediate . It's a curious circumstance , said Trotty , proceeding in his cookery with the assistance of the toasting fork . Curious , but well known to my friends that I never care myself for rashes , nor for tea .

I like to see other people enjoy them , said Trotty , speaking very loud to impress the fact upon his guest . But to me as food , they're disagreeable .

Yet Trotty sniffed the savor of the hissing bacon as if he liked it and when he poured the boiling water in the teapot , looked lovingly down into the depths of that snug cauldron and suffered the fragrant stream to curl about his nose and wreath his head and face in a thick cloud .

However , for all this , he neither ate nor drank , except at the very beginning , a mere morsel for form's sake , which he appeared to eat with infinite relish but declared was perfectly uninteresting to him . No , trotty's occupation was to see Will Fern and Lillian eat and drink , and so was Meg's .

And never did spectators at a city dinner or court banquet find such high delight in seeing others feast , although it were a monarch or a pope , as those two did . In looking on that night , meg smiled at Trotty . Trotty laughed at Meg . Meg shook her head and made belief to clap her hands , applauding Trotty .

Trotty conveyed in dumb show , unintelligible narratives of how and when and where he had found their visitors to Meg . And they were happy , very happy Although , thought Trotty sorrowfully as he watched Meg's face . That match is broken off . I see . Now I'll tell you what" said Trotty after tea . The little one she sleeps with Meg .

I know With good Meg , cried the child caressing her . With Meg , that's right , said Trotty , and I shouldn't wonder if she kiss Meg's father , won't she ? I'm Meg's father .

Mightily delighted Trotty was when the child went timidly towards him and , having kissed him , fell back upon Meg again . He's as sensible as Solomon , said Trotty . Here we come and here we—oh no , we don't .

I don't mean that I—what was I saying , meg , my precious Meg , looked towards their guest who leaned upon her chair and , with his face turned from her fondle , the child's head half hidden in her lap . To be sure , said Toby . To be sure , I don't know what I'm rambling on about tonight . My wits are all gathering , I think .

Will Fern , you come along with me . You're tired to death and broken down for want of rest . You come along with me . The man still played with the child's curls , still leaned upon Meg's chair , still turned away his face .

He didn't speak , but in his rough , coarse fingers , clenching and expanding in the fair hair of the child , there was an eloquence that said enough . Yes , yes , said Trotty , answering unconsciously what he saw expressed in his daughter's face . Take her with you , meg , get her to bed there Now , will , I will show you where you lie .

It's not much of a place , only a loft . But having a loft , I always say , is one of the great conveniences of living in a muse . Until this coachhouse and stable gets a better , let we live here cheap . There's plenty of sweet hay up there belonging to a neighbour and it's as clean as hands and Meg can make it Cheer up .

Don't give way A new heart for a new year . Always the hand released from the child's hair had fallen trembling into Trotty's hand . So Trotty , talking without intermission , led him out as tenderly and easily as if he'd been a child himself . Returning before Meg , he listened for an instant .

At the door of her little chamber and a joining room , the child was murmuring a simple prayer before lying down to sleep , and when she had remembered Meg's name Dearly , dearly so , her words ran , trotty heard her stop and ask for his .

It was some short time before the foolish little old fellow could compose himself to mend the fire and draw his chair to the warm hearth . But when he had done so and had trimmed the light , he took his newspaper from his pocket and began to read .