The Solitary Farm

erical suitor. "S' thet she may be yer handmaiden, an' yer spouse, and yer sealed fountain, es y' put it in yer flowery pulpit lingo.

ed ceiling-beams, the Dutch-tiled fire-place, with its ungainly brass dogs, and the deep slanting embrasure of the lozenge-paned casement, suggested Georgian beaux and belles dancing buckram minutes, or at least hard-riding country squires p

a fringe of white hair which curved under his stubborn chin from one large ear to the other, his tough skin was seamed with innumerable wrinkles, accumulating particularly thickly about his eyes. He had gold rings in his ears, and plenteous grey hair hung like seaweed from under a peaked cap, pushed back from his lined forehead. He looked what he truly was-a r

ainst it stood a common deal table covered incongruously with an embroidered Indian cloth. Above this, and leaning forward, was a round convex mirror, surmounted by a Napoleonic eagle. This was flanked on one side by an oilskin coat and a sou'-wester, and on the other by a sextant and a long brass telescope. A Louis Quinze sofa, with a gilt frame, and covered with faded brocade, fitted into the space

, stuffed birds, Indian ivory carvings, photographs and paintings of various ships, and all the flotsam and jetsam which collects in a sailor's sea-chest during endless voyages. The deal table was littered with old magazines, yellow-backed novels, and navigation books with ragged covers; while the fire-place was a species of dust-bin for matches, cigar-ends, torn paper

d and somewhat mean, while a short and scanty beard scarcely concealed his sensitive mouth. His forehead was lofty, his chin weak, and his grey eyes glittered in a strange, fanatical fashion. There were exceptional possibilities both for good and evil in that pale countenance, and it could be guessed that environment would have much to do with the development of such possibilities. Mr. Pence was arrayed in a tightly-fitti

y possessions, recalling meanwhile a not altogether spotless past, he brought his shrewd eyes back again to his visitor's attentive face. St

it in the seat of the rulers. But the Lord has gifted me with a pleading tongue, an admiring eye, and an admonishing nature. With Is

ariner. "Ain't bin readi

ce shrilly, "and thy land Beulah: for the Lord d

ourse ef it be, es y' merry Bella, th' land goes with her when I fits int' m' little wooden overcoat.

k over his left shoulder, as though he expected to be tapped thereon. Pence was puzzled as much by this behaviour as by

sraight 'nough, Mr. Pence. Touching thi

g minister enthusiastically, "which, being

But does th' gel lo

bts," he sighed, "seeing that she has looked u

napped the captain; "pu

host for the use of strong language, when he was startled by

close his scandalised ears. With many adjectives of the most lurid description, the preacher understood Huxham to say that he would see his da

blamed Miss Ankers', the school-mistress', house, she did. Sh' wanted him t' kim an' see this old shanty, 'cause he write

ated Pence feebly. "We

n' y' too, fur sayin' so. Oh, Lister, Lister!" Hux

babbled the vis

t Huxham to his calmer senses, l

arsk yer pardon fur gittin' up steam. My gel don't merry no Lister, y' kin lay yer soul t' thet, Mr. Pence. Lister! Lister!" He slipped of

ily then?" asked Pence, ope

ly mouth," he growled, rolling porpoise-fashion across the

at he knew of the young stranger, to see if he could account for this outbreak. He could recall nothing pertinent. Cyril Lister had come to remain in Marshely some six months previously, and declared himself to be a journalist in search of quiet, for the purpose of writing a novel. He occupied a tiny cottage in the

ain's prohibition. But it was evident that Huxham knew nothing of their meetings. Pence did, however, and resented that the girl should prefer Lister's company to his own. He was very deeply in love, and it rejoiced his heart when he heard how annoyed the captain was at the mere idea

gel, Bella," he announced hoarsely; "m' conscience won't let me merry her t' thet-thet-oh, cuss him! why carn't he an' the likes o' he keep away!" He paused, and again cast an

The preacher w

e, and the two emerged through a wooden trap-door on the roof. Silas then beheld a moderately broad space running parallel with the passage below, and extending from one parapet to the other. On either side of this walk-as it might be termed-the red-tiled roofs sloped abruptly upward to cover the two portions of the mansion, here joined by the flat leads forming the walk aforesaid. On the slope of the left roof, looking from the trap-door, was a wooden ladder which led up to a small platform, also

ightly to the iron clamps of the brick-work. "I am t

ffly, "an' jes' look et them twenty acres of co

the tin roof of his own humble Bethel gleaming like silver in the sunlight. And here and there, dotted indiscriminately, were lonely houses, single huts, clumps of trees, and on the higher ground rising inland, more villages similar to Marshely. The flat and perilously green lands were divided by hedges and ditches and fences into squares and triangles and oblongs and rectangles, all as emerald-hued as faery rings. The human habitations were so scattered, that it looked as though some careless genii had dropped them by chance when flying overhead. Far away glitte

deep breath of moist air, "it were water-logged like a derelict, es y' might say. Cast yer we

er, struggling to his feet and holding on by the

s were divided and sub-divided by water-ways wide and narrow, which drained the land, and these gave the place quite a Dutch look, as fancy might picture them as canals. But the corn grew everywhere so thick and high, in contrast to the barren marshes, that the farm looked almost aggressively cultivated. Bleacres was widely known as "The Solitary Farm," for there was not another like it for many miles, though why it should have been left to a retired sailor to cultivate the soil it is hard to say. But Hux

e classical studies; "here the goddess might preside. Yet," he adde

ently," said Huxham, addressing the landscape with

of land left dry by the sea, and fit for cultivation or use. You w

planation without question; "but I ain't got no use for dix'onarie

asked Silas absently,

his hard blue eyes, and he threw another anxious glance over his shoulder. But a stealthy examination of the minister's indifferent countenance assured him that the qu

an' second, and a skipper by m' own determination t' git top-hole. Likewise hard tack, cold quarters, kickin's an' brimstone langwidge es would hev made thet hair of yours curl tremenjous, Mr. Pence. I made 'nough when fifty an' more, t' buy this here farm, an' this here house, th' roof of which I've walked quarter-deck fashion, e

Huxham for at least five years, and had before remarked upon his eccentric way of talking. "Very intere

nd to the four points of the compass, "when I jine the late Mrs

anded Pence, u

er int' one of them wa

e preacher, cons

wled Huxham gruffly, "

sed the captain with sudden death and murder, for he made this amazing proposit

in a shaking voice a

asively, "every blamed acre of et, t' say

reading his hands across his lean, agita

ay. Wot th' water gits th' water holds. He'd go down int' the black slime an' never come up. It '

n up to an exceedingly high mountain, to show Him the kingdoms of the world

led down the ladder to rush for the open trap. The captain leaned from his quarter-deck scornfully. "Y' needn't say es I gave y' the chance, fur no

nd scowled. "Blamed milky swab," he grumbled, then turned to survey the bribe he had offered for wilful murder. He looked at the corn and across the corn un

ferred to might be,