Armorel of Lyonesse

time the two lands-men were not unprotected: they were in charge of two boatmen. Humiliating, perhaps; but your true courage consisteth not in vain boasting a

see her. There she is-upon the hillside among th

d shook his sho

n in the middle. The hills appear to be strewn with boulders, and there are carns, and perhaps Logan stones. There is always a Logan stone, but you can never find it. There are also, I perceive, ruins. Samson looks quite a

eated Roland. 'She is co

ew it; but I cannot at this dist

inst the brown and yellow

ncertain eyes of short sigh

nything. In fact, I always do: it saves trouble. I see her

ing down the hill. You

down the hill,' Di

all kinds of things-impossible things-about this nymph.

a child, Ro

pose I may admire a beautiful child? Do you i

man, you

ighteen, but our friend last night assured us that she is not yet sixteen. A very beautiful gir

nley or Smith-Pharaoh Stanley

well look for an organ-grinder! Spanish blood, I swear! Castilian

sides, as usual, I wa

re blac

eyes-roving eyes-hard,

o paint those eyes. She is now looking at our boat. I can see her lifting her hand to shade

only be one other person present on that interes

you are little be

later picture when she was giving away her temper. Eyes which hold the light also hold the fi

han the fellow with the muck-rake. He was only insensible to a golden crown; they are

ve got to shape our lives for ourselves

, and taking with gratitude any good thing that is bestowed upon him by Fate. Next, the young man who believes that the whole round world and all that therein is are created for his own special pleasure and enjoyment; that for him the lovely girls attire themselves, and for his pleasure go forth to da

cted jerks. 'As for the Greek maiden by the sea-shore playing at ball and showing bony shoulders, and all that-I don't like it. Only very young girls should play at ball and jump about-not women grown and formed. They may walk or spring as much as they like, but they must not jump, and they mus

the hill. As she ran, she tossed her arms to balance herself from boulder to boulder. She was singin

cheeks. Hebe herself-who remained always fifteen from prehistoric times until the melancholy catastrophe of the fourth centu

the hill and looked out, and presently I saw your boat. You have not ventured

to say, to Bryher Church-on Sunday afternoon, each called unto each by his Christian name. And to each she gave her hand with a smile of

amson? Have you see

two days before, and wer

: then perhaps they walk over Sallakey Down, and they see Peninnis and Porthellick and the old church, an

rrow?' asked the artist

me. You, my friend,' Dick replied, with meaning, 'because you ha

of all,' he said, turning to Armo

e last night. Besi

fuse to belie

s say any more abou

morel led the way across this plain to the foot of the northern hill. It is a rough and rugged hill, wild and uncultivated. The slope facing the south is covered with gorse and fern, the latter brown and yellow in September. Among the fern at this season stood the tall dead stalks of foxglove. Here and there were patches of short turf set about with the withered flower

e to show on Samson, or on any of the islands. This i

ck, looking about him.

ere can be no other kings. These

are their tombs. See-one-two-half a dozen of them are here. Only kings had ba

nfusion. A man of the world does not expect to be caught

together, and the road was only a creek of the sea. Then the sea washed away all the land between Scilly and the Land's End. They used to call the place Lyonesse

see them very mu

o out and look for them. I have been h

did yo

divere-who, perhaps, was standing on t

the rocks, and I heard t

king of Lyonesse would be in

barrow, the top of which

one that has been opened

ion which formed the sides of the grave, and the

hed them they turned to dust. There is the dust at your feet in the grave. The wind cannot bear it away. It may blow the san

white forehead: her eyes were sad and even solemn. Even the short-sighted Dick saw that his friend was right: they were soft black eyes, not of the gipsy kind; and he repented him of a hasty inference. To the artist it seemed as if here was a princess of Lyonesse mourning over the grave of her

strange that the historian he

eads; that it has been lying open ever since; and that every visitor-to be sure there are not many-who lands on Samson is bound to climb this hill and visit

for staying another week at Tregarthen's-when he was startled by striking his stick against metal. He knelt down and felt about with his hands. Then he found something and drew it out, and arose with the triumph that belongs to an arch?ologist who picks up an ancient thing-say, a rose noble in a newly ploughed fiel

like it in museums. And I've read of them. It was your king's necklace: it was buried with him

It is yours'-in ignorance of ancient law and the rights

you, because you are the

ding open the ends and closing them again. It lay there-the re

aid Roland. 'It is his legacy to his

ck, aside. 'Why couldn't I find

here are others scattered about-but this is the be

g. Here it breaks away sharply to the sea. Armorel climbed lightly up the carn and stood upon t

bed lightly

ing over the rocks is broken into foam), a broad sound or channel lay between Samson and th

use it faces Samson Island. Bryher is a large place. There are houses and farms on Bryher, and a church where they have service every Sunday afternoon

the island, then?'

an's rheumatism, and bad weather

took advantage and got we

Armorel rep

little of the greater group. From this point they looked to the eye of ignorance like one island. Armorel distinguished them. There

easant to row about among them in fine weather. In the old time, when they made kel

red daymark on the highest point. Half of St. Martin's was hidden by Tresco, and more than half of Tresco by Bryher. Over the downs of Tresco rose t

Church. And then there are the gardens and the lake. Everybody goes to see the gardens, but they do not walk over the down to Cromwell's Castle. Yet there is nothing in the islands li

th granite, surrounded by ledges and reefs, cut and carved by winds and flying foam into ragged edges, bold peaks, and defiant cliffs-places where all the year round the seals play and the sea-gulls scream, and, i

yond is Maiden Bower; the rock farthest out is Scilly. If you were going to stay, we would sail round Scilly and watch the waves always tearing at his sides. You cannot see from here, but he is divided by a narrow chan

that there was anything near Eng

them from this hill. You like them more and more as you stay longer

all, I suppose?

ome on which no one can land, even at low tide and in the calmest weather. And no one knows what beautiful bays and beaches and headlands there are hidden away and never seen by a

from the rocks, and

kept the top for the kings-there are smaller barrows, I suppose of the princes and princesses. I told you that the island was a royal burying-ground.

s a pretty little bay, circular and fringed with a beach of white sand. If one wanted a port for Samson, here is

is Shark Point. There are sharks sometimes, I believe: but I

ields-nothing in them now but fern and gorse and bramble and wild flowers. Half-way up there stood a ruined cottage. The walls

them in a corner of the garden a little wizened apple-tree, crouching under the stone wall out of the reach of the north wind-'she planted this tree on her wedding-day. It is too old now to bear fruit; but she is still livi

ore ruins,'

ages were deserted, and so they fell into decay. They used to live by smuggling and wre

some twenty feet above the summit of the norther

h of pride, because the view here

re are Gorregan and Daisy, Rosevean and Rosevear, Crebawethan and Pednathias; and there-where you see a little circle of white-that is Retarrier Ledge. Not long ago there was a great ship coming slowly up the Channel in bad weather: she was filled with Germans from New York going home to spend the money they had saved in America: most of them had their money with them tied up in bags. Suddenly, the ship struck on Retarrier. It was ten o'clock in the evening and a great sea running. For two hours the ship kept bumping on the rocks: then she began to break up, and they were all drowned-all the

Dick. 'Especially is it interesting to co

tay and sail among

y. We who are from the inland parts of Great Britain must begin by learni

corrected him. 'We neve

st know also what is meant by a gale of wind, a stiff breeze, a dead calm. He recognises, by the look of it, a lively sea, a chopping sea, a heavy sea, a roaring sea, a sulky sea. He knows everything except a river. That, I suppose, requires very careful expla

ot know that story of a Scilloni

'This place is a story in itself: you

s any fairies. They call them pixies there. I do not think that fairies wo

y her own feet alone, and brought them out to

we could give you a room. We have many empty rooms'-she sighed-'since

er used. The furniture presented the aspect common to 'best parlours,' being formal and awkward. In one corner stood a bookcase with glass doors, filled with books. Armorel showed them into this apartment, drew up the blind, opened

plate of apples, another of biscuits, and a decanter full of a very black li

id. 'These are from our own orchard, behin

a dose of medicine than an apple-and munched it with avidity. 'A d

t, Dick Stephenson? Nothing?

he morning,

e other man, who was so easily pleased and who said such beautiful thing

mson-the glorious vintage of the blackberry! In pies and in jam-pots I k

sted it. 'Sweet,' he said, critically. 'And strong. Clings to the palate. A liqueur wine-a curious wine

way from St. Agnes only just to look at her. Sometimes she answers questions for them, and they think it is telling their fortunes. She is as

e ancient dame sat in her hooded chair fast asleep, in

g over the chair placing a pillow in position-'and that other. It is wonderful!' he said aloud. 'T

ory for awhile and talks-sometimes q

spinning-wheel

nning-wheel while she talks. Then she

re is a

y tunes, but it is difficult to learn any new ones. Last summer there were some ladies at Tregarthen's-one of them had a most beautiful voice, and she used to sing in the evening w

y,' the young man said, wit

s Dick's voice-bu

here, then?'

s house? In

tay. And I will show you everything.' She did not invite the young man call

dian-or your great-grea

We will make you very happy here. And y

ain Dick's w

anks!' he said