A Maid of the Silver Sea

ittle

were her fear and hatred of Tom, and her passion

that special pale; esteemed Grannie as an Olympian, benevolently inclined, but dw

e had

lways at its fullest-not only in active working order but always actively at work-an admirable subje

very soon came to accept Tom's rough treatment as natural from a big fellow of fou

with the perfunctoriness of childhood, which attaches more weight to the act than to the meaning of it, she allowed that to pass with a stickle and

etitions an appendix, unmistakably brief and to the point

iness developed afterwards-as childish prettiness d

there by brother Tom. To the end of her life she carried the mark of a cut over her right eye

her mouth. The wide, firm little mouth always remained closed, but the blue eyes burned fiercely, and the outraged little heart, thumping furiously at it

ught something of meaning in

he growled, and released her so suddenl

e was in the habit of doing, and pray

tled red face, and made a dash at her; but sh

ary, it seemed but to increase it. She was so sweet; he was so coarse. She was so small and fragile; he was so big and stro

vage, which recognises no sufferings but its

ok the task of drowning the superfluous offspring. He got so much amusement out of it that, for weeks, Nance's horrified inner vision saw little blind head

etribution in her case, not enjoyment!-but he was too strong for her. He simply kicked out behind, and before she could get up had thrust one of his half-dr

atisfaction but subsequent increased tribulation. For whenever he got a thrashing on her accoun

ed-and in places deep-sunk-lanes of Little Sar

aces-the darkness below is lifted somewhat by reason of the majestic width and height of the glittering dome above. But when moon and stars alike are wanting, then the darkness of a Sark lane is a thing

rk of imagination, is not to be compared with the fear of eight and a mind that could quiver like a harp even at its o

out upon her was huge delight; and it was well worth braving the grim possibilities of the hedges in order to extort from

asions, yet not so quietly but that she was perfectly aware of footsteps behind, which stopped when

train, and both little shoulders humped against the expected apparitio

ainfully, and hear nothing but the low hoarse growl of the sea t

op again, and then dash on. And always there behin

it up and hurl it promiscuously in the direction of the footsteps, and quaver, in a voice that belied its message, "Go away, Tom Hamon! I can see

and in spasms, and leave nightmare recoll

riations in the p

she knew, from her favourite calf Jeanetton, who had broken her tether in the field and sought companionship in the ro

any times, and explained the whole matter to her at considerable leng

aker, as a present from her mother, and had been kept much longer than she wished-for the old lady

ging the empty plate to her breast, and glancing fearfully over first on

igure leaped silently out at her from its crouching place, and she tore

it, when her foot caught, and she flung head foremost into the light with a sc

ould have been a grievous loss to humanity at large, for sweeter windows to a l

is within. They may be decked to deceive, but the clear windows of the soul admit of no disguise. That li

f her feet and Tom's mocking laughter in the distance. He carried Nance in to her m

had shut her lips tight when her father questioned her, and refused to say a word. But

the victims' side, and when Nance got to be twelve-Bernel being then eight and Tom eighteen-th

longer to suffer without lifting a hand was great gain to them, and the very fact that they had to go

ed much from the black shadow of brother Tom, t

d understand, interested in everything about her, and never satisfied till she had got to t

d some of them posers-it was not simply for the sake of asking, but because she truly wanted to know; and even Grannie, who was not na

o old Mr. Cachemaille, the Vicar up in Sark, making nothing of the journey and the Coupée in order to solve some, to her, important problem

, when the Vicar had wished to see with his own eyes one or other of Nance's wonderful discoveries, in

o be had in those days, and in place of them she climbed fearlessly about the rough cliff-sides an

to little Nance the rabbits were playfellows whose sudden deaths she lamented and resented; the cliff-sides were glorious gardens thick with sweet-scented yellow go

aby cuckoos were a joy to her, though, on their foster-mothers' accounts she resented the thriftlessness of their parents, and grew tired each year of their monotonous call which ceased not day or night. But of the larks never, for their songs

angers of the passage, and he would stand and watch her with his heart in his mouth, and only shake his grey head at her encouraging assertions that it was truly truly as easy as easy. For he felt certain that even if he got down he would never get up again. And so, when the triumphant shout from below told him she was safely land

rivulets that flowed from them to the sea were lined pink and green, too. And this that she had brought him was the flaming sea-weed, though truly it did not look i

easy circuitous way for him, and so got him safely down to her own special pool, hollowed out

And he had no sooner explained the necessary movements to her and she had tried them, than she cast off the rope, shouting, "I can swim! I can swim!" and to his amazement swam across the pool and back-a good fifty feet each

erful channels and basins whorled out of the rock in the most fantastic ways,

could sit quite alongside it, so close that you could put your hand into it as it came rocketing out of the hole, and then, if the sun was right, yo

a very low tide, and its size and the dome of its roof, compared with the narrownes

w to a larger estate than most of her fellows, and al

ened to her. Chickens, calves, lambs, piglets-she foster-mothered them a

the series of little chambers and passages that led right through the headland to the side looking into Port Gorey. Which most s

h courage, to explore the whole of that extraordin

e found that it led finally into a dark crack in the rock, and, squeezing thr

t pitch darkness, she perceived a small black opening at the far end, and looking t

as that glimmer of light ahead and she must know what it was, and so she climbed and wriggled over and under the huge splinter

opted it at once as their refuge and stronghold. And thereafter they spent much time there, especially in the

and thither they retreated after defeat or victory, while he hunted

e, became a joy without a flaw-except the thought th

d his stunts and twists developed themselves along other lines. Moreov

iness just beginning to fashion itself into the strength and c

d set eyes on since he left home, and he'd seen a many. And he wondered t

ed him and all h