Shining Ferry

f anglers seated and watching their floats; decent citizens of Warwick, with a sprinkling of redcoats from the garrison. They say that two-thirds of t

t, and smoked his pipe, and cast frequent furtive glances, now along the river path, now back and across the meadow where anothe

of yours?" the corporal aske

hirty-five years," answered John Rosewa

It's queer, now, that I never set eyes on

swered again. "There's nothing queer about it,

art of

ish in Avon on

to the

in two hundre

f the sport than I do, t

es for the first time and tu

port?"

ure. What else?" stammered

rtly. "Here she comes. Now

She had taken off her hat, of broad-brimmed straw with artificial poppies and cornflowers, and swung it in her hand as she came. Her eyes roamed the landsc

you! Goo

vening,

ms to me you spend mos

he cue for a gallant soldier. The corporal began, indeed, to wind up

ul weather," he a

h. "I took it off for the sake of fresh air," she explained. Then, as h

interrupt you by talking," sh

der, "the corporal remarked to Rosewarne,

ud yonder has been rising against the wind for an hour. Look you along the bank, how

the print frock as it vanished in the twilit shadows. One or two of the departing anglers paused as they went by to promis

tly by the banks of Avon couples had been courting-thousands in these thirty-five years- each of them dreaming, poor fools, that their moment's passion held the world in its hands. But the world teem

ung for thee,

een gallopin' d

t owre the li

were but you

sole hope that he would right her. Until the day of embarking she had never seen the sea; and the sea, after buffeting her to the verge of death, in the end betrayed her. A gale delayed the ship, and in the height of it her child was born. Rosewarne, a private soldier, went to his captain, as soon as she was landed, made a clean breast of it, and married her. But it was too late. She lived to return with

ourses the indifferent sun shines for each pair of fools with a difference, lighting their passion

of the river; but his mind's eye saw the shadowy mead behind him, and a girlish figure crossing it

n stood there on the river path, most like in the dusk to that other of thirty-five

ds came to a halt, checked by a near fl

ain took him, and his hand went up to his breast. For a moment he knelt so, t

his teeth before they clenched in a second spasm. Two or three sharp flashes followed the first. In the glare of them her eyes searched along the river-bank, if haply help might be near; but all the anglers had departed. Rosewarne's face stared up at her, blue as a dead man's in the dazzling light. At first it seemed to twitch with each opening of the heavens; but this must have been a trick of eyesight, for his head lay quiet against her

it rain?"

irt over you. It will keep o

good." He lay silent for a minute or so. "I shall be

es

movement to sit up. "Let us get home quickly. You can

ng above the castle elms, and reappearing while their fierce candour yet blinded the eye. The thunder-peals, blending, wrapped Warwick as with one roar of artillery. Rosewarne had risen, and stood panting. He grasped her shoulder. "Come!" he commanded. The girl, dazzled by the lightning,

be spoken of as a separate room which was, in fact, entirely walled off with books laid flat and rising in stacks from the floor. The place, in fact, suggested a cave or den rather than a shop, with stalagmites of piled literature and a subtle pervading odour of dust and decayed leather. The girl, after shutting the bolts behind

she lit a candle for him at the foot of the stairs. "Your father

a! I had to pension her off, poor old s

ed him t

hen you must give me your change of clothes. They shall be warmed for a

is is doing, you will stand an ex

l that the dye has run out of these crapes, and my face is beautifully streaked with black! Can you

of duffel-grey, which, with her damp, closely plaited hair, gave her a Quakerish look. Yet the frock became her; the natur

le, where the lamp's ray fell full on its gold foil. Her eyes opened wide; for

to it." He produced a knife from his pocket, with a pair of nippers

chool frock. I have only o

Selina. You wante

ther had done business enough to keep the roof over him and no more. So at first there was-well, a pinch. The books will sell, of course; two hon

rply, with a glance around the table. "Bu

r pleasure, M

onour, Miss Hester," he answ

and ran off t

he resumed, as the

back to the teaching

ved my life just now, Miss Hester; and life is good to look forwa

k you

ld are

twenty-fiv

g have you b

ht y

ee supped together-you and your father and I-I remember taking note of you, and tell

Marvin's charm that she dea

she answered frankly and gaily. "Will yo

o a more than good-looking woman. But the days slip by, child, and your looks will slip away with them. You are wasting your life in worrying over other fol

part; but I have a c

em-I mean, as the first

swering. "Well, I suppose, to be honourable

I call muddling the world's work. By the time a boy gets to school he ought to be ripe for a harder lesson, and learn that life's a fight in which brains and

r displease you,

fork with a comical

ut did yo

and they both br

the table and gazing at him over her folded hands, "if you have trea

ith sudden, s

o me that your father was dead, but that I might have, for the last ti

nce a year and lodged here for a night. I knew that you came because my father was the parish clerk and let you spend the night in St Mary's Church; and I know that, though he allowed it secretly, you did no harm there, else he

ion I need to ask, though you may very properly refuse to answer it. B

ing a

why I should do this str

after year I have no wish at all to pry. But there is a look on your face-and when children come to me with that look they are unhappy with some secret, and want to be understood without having to tell all particulars. A school

ing, I t

ered her, after a long pause, during w

t from that attack. If you really must go, will you not let

trayed him. He put out a hand against the jamb. "I am no better than a child," he groaned, an

the sky, the moon rode and a few stars shone down whitely, as if with freshly washed faces. Hester carried a dark lantern under her cloak; but, within, the church was light enough f

ught sight of her and met her eyes for the first time. Year after year he had kept this vigil, concentrating his thought upon her and her faith; but never for an instant had that faith come near to touching him, except with a sentimental pity which he rejected, despising it; never had he come near to piercing the well of that mysterious comfort and releasing its waters. To him the dust of the great dead yonder in the Beauchamp Cha

over Warwick, beating out a homely tune to min

steps as he walked down the aisle did not arouse the girl, who slept in the corner of the pew, with her loosened hair pencilling, as the dawn touched it, lines of red-gold light upon the

he said; "the