The Unknown Sea

as childhood's, and as guileless her face. Her head was regal, for the hair

God for the redemption of her lost soul. The shadow of his crest edged her shoulder; a movement brought to the line of her cheek th

es!' she sai

rd, Diadyomene. Why never yet

ade name. Put it away and bea

Yet what wou

y be!' she said

e consort name c

for that could I lay aside

tently did I utter Diadyomenos. Aslee

modulated, and his blood

loosened and fingered the length of soft splendours; another lustrous morsel flew and skipped to the boy's feet. Covetous longing fastened upon it, not for its rare beauty, its immense value. A thing that had passed throu

leased to inquire, on the watch for colour

er a defect that secretions of the sea have constructed a shape of perfect beaut

said, and froze

my mind that you

N

me; that persuading, beguiling, if you can coercing me-me-who spared you, tolerated you, inclined to you,

k and tone, that his face g

ake first a

ans for y

down my life for you!'

ve up your

erald; the wind swept her hair about her clear throat; one hand clasped the curve of her knee. Never yet had he touched her, never felt so much as a thread of blown hair against his skin. One hand lay so near, stra

nerve with intense vitality, possesses the brain lik

nd a great welcome of his presence swells from the deep, all life there promising to him dominion. Intangible and inarticulate the vision spins; and through it all he knows, he feels, that beneath his palm lies the cold white hand of the fairest of the sea-brood; he perceives dimly a motionless figure s

rist! ah, L

he shook like a reed. With haggard eyes he regarded the serene visage where a smile dreamed, where absent eyes did not acknowledge

or they had approached him, and then retired; they had gone toward the sea, and half-way altered back by two paces; they had fin

not a single

ess, downcast, blank. Was her going with anger and scorn divided by pit

ung in to great sighs

h! too precious for the mart-this draught was no luck, he knew, but a gift direct from Diadyomene; a goodwill token of her generous excuse

ne flung up a hand, palm outwards, to display the doubled thumb. Every hand copied. Christian saw and went hot with ange

t trade, I reck

ce can bide,' and he carried

r, frankly covetous. Christian saw by her shy eyes and pretty, conscious smile she made sure he would presently say, 'Keep it, cousin.' He could not. A gift, f

sented the change with a touch of malice; she allowed the advance of the handsome idler Philip, no friend of Christian's liking, she knew, though to her his faults were not patent. That gift withheld, on the morrow began Philip's benefit. G

e a bird to the lure, with her quick, warm response, making Christian w

, not heeding more ominous warnings plain in bent thumbs, in black looks, in silences that greeted him, and in mutterings that followed. A day came when hootings startl

ose. When the boy sought her again she disclaimed once more; and curious of his perplexity and of his gashed face, drew from him something of his plight. Her eyes were threatening when

at last been descried fairly within the Sinister buoys, and chased by an unknown

tis too like devil's luck. Ah, lad!' He faltered, caught at Christian, and

ed. 'Dad, O da

no stowing a scrap unseen. Ah, they gape! Here, clear of

eart shrank, for he could not understand her nor appreciate her. But Giles had a tale to unfold that brought light. Rhoda had come in flaming from a stormy passage with Philip. He had gained her ear to hint a warn

awk!' said Giles. 'He's mortal savage now,

do you

and died by nature or mischance, not a bone gets out or broken, but there's a try to fix it

oken of doub

, 'never again bring in the black or the gre

s head ros

enough against you as it is. If you weren't so uppish

ow the young cur I owe for this scar, and have I laid a finger on him? To t

ited a frenzy against Christian, who had been seen handling the beast after the night of stoning, when the victim's brother it was who had marked him for life. So his iniqu

midst; but one by one his neighbours edged away, till he lay isolated deliberately. This manifestation of

m, even as when Diadyomene had advanced naked and unabashed before his diffident eyes. Indefinite reproach clamoured all day at

t could seriously attempt his will. But the hours told so on the aching boy, that for once he abandoned his own str

loating tranquilly: no weed, two dim hands part it to the showing of a moony countenance graciously inquisitive, and pe

aid softly, and her

utched the gunwale on an impulse to over-leap it finally. Like hounds straining on

oised. Ah, beautiful reluctance! Unaffronted? O heart that aches, that breaks to give worthy response! He saw her lips moving;

rouched, and lay sobbing d

for the hour; and none hooted after him, but shrilling whistles at his back

the threshold to find two scared w

did t

old man, seeing the boy ablaze with wra

rced, and the coral laid there, Christian's store of precious, sacred coral, looted entire. Giles, coming on

aid Christian, hoar

red Giles, and th

ed, stamped out ungov

and fearful. Then Giles staggered t

ck for his Reverence-if he

he shore. Thence struck the ring of axes, thence shone the flare of torches, showing a black, busy swarm. Like a wounded beast he

hen had he no need to strike any man but once; those he gripped in the downfall had broken bones of him. Cries and curses thickened, he only fought mute. Foul strokes on him were fair enough: they struck him together, they struck from behind, they caug

embrance, and settled vision. What meant this savage, cruel hate looking out of every face? these yells, curses, and accusations dinning at his ears? He was bound upright in the mid

took into their own hands, and enforced confession and restitution. Scrupulous to a fault, honourable, proud, Christian

ion against stock and cord. He could not escape from bonds; he could not escape from life; with

bear. And he could not eve

teeth showed in a vicious grin. He heard more, charges so monstrous, that he deemed them sprung of mere insolent mockery, or else

had to bear bro

orrence, the day had brought forth a new fierce lust after vengeance, exasperated now the might of his hands, superhuman, had done such terrible work. None

for his benefit no longer held. A mutter ran: 'The devil has cared for his own-he cannot feel.' And to make sure that he had not passed from consciousnes

stayed the patience of animosity. High upon a clamour swelling anew one cried, 'Try fire!' snatched a torch, and

the creature! Send him back to the devil by the way he came!' The note of

with his face set to the sea, knee-deep in the tide, he was left to die. Along the shore pickets were formed to preclude a miscarriage to justice; and there, while the sea trod forward, the fla

infernal laughter rolled in his heart at the prospect of a consummate vengeance when the powers of the sea should work with his will. He knew she would come. Undoubting the extent of her knowledge, her power, her gracious sur

s promise of intolerable exasperation to raw wounds. Would she come, as before, with sweet despatch if he could call 'Diadyomene'? But he would not; because

erated swell of the slow waves vexed his failing brain. But he dared no

m; they stood in rank, hateful presences, deriding the outcast: but to pass, he knew, as a sleeper can know of

e and looked at him; the reproach of their eyes pierced deep. What have I done-what can I do? he challenged. God keep you all, dears! Oh, shut your eyes, there is no other way. And still they looked-Lois-Giles-Rh

passions black as murder, were so live and strong in him. He could not die-he could not. To be enforced from mere life were bitter; to choose noble death were bitter; but to choose

yomene, haste to deliver me; for the will

ar their live limbs piece-meal, and down in the ooze coils of serpents shall crush them out. Ah God! ah God! I love her so. Would hell be undesirable if you were there, or heaven perfect if you were not? O poor soul, poor soul! who wil

and the tide w

swift death, yet shrank humanly as promise swung hard at his face. He prayed against Diadyomene, and yet strove with wide eyes to prevent the darkness,

r word uttered in scorn to lay sea-blossoms about the skull? Dead, void of pain, unresponsive to her touch could he be! O

cker out into misty delirium; from helpless memory

in his veins, noise and tremor beating through him, fluid to it but for his bones. Came trampling and singing and clapping, promising welcome to ineffable glories, ravishing the heart in its anguish to conc

fe and lost soul. He shudders hard. 'Deliver us from evil,'