appy. God bless you both."

Having written and sealed this letter, he marked it with a cross for
superscription, touched it with his lips, laid it back on the table
and put a key on top of it. Then he rested his head on his hands, and
for some minutes afterwards he was lost to himself in thought. "They
would tell him to lie down," he thought, "and now he must be asleep.
When he awakes he will be out at sea, far out, and all sail set.
Before long he will find that he has been betrayed, and demand to be
brought back. But they will not heed his anger, for she will have
talked with them. Next week or the week after they will put in at
Shetlands, and there he will get my letter. Then his face will
brighten with joy, and he will cry, 'To home! To Home!' And
then--even then--why not?--his sight will come back to him, and he
will open his eyes and find his dream come true, and her own dear
face looking up at him. At that he will cry, 'Greeba, Greeba, my
Greeba,' and she will fall into his arms and he will pluck her to his
breast. Then the wind will come sweeping down from the North Sea, and
belly out the sail until it sings and the ropes crack and the blocks
creak. And the good ship will fly along the waters like a bird to the
home of the sun. Home! Home! England! England, and the little green
island of her sea!"

"God bless them both," he said aloud, in a voice like a sob, but he
leapt to his feet, unable to bear the flow of his thoughts. He put
back the paper and pens into the cupboard, and while he was doing so
he came upon a bottle of brenni-vin. He took it out and laughed, and
drew the cork to take a draught. But he put it down on the table
untouched. "Not yet," he said to himself, and then he stepped to the
door and opened it.

The snow had ceased to fall and the day was breaking. Great shivering
waifs of vapor crept along the mountain sides, and the valley was
veiled in mist. But the sea was clear and peaceful, and the sloop of
war lay on its dark bosom as before.

"Now for the signal," thought Jason.

In less than a minute afterwards the flag was floating from the
flag-staff, and Jason stood waiting for the ship's answer. It came in
due course, a clear-toned bell that rang out over the quiet waters
and echoed across the land.

"It's done," thought Jason, and he went back into the house. Lifting
up the brenni-vin, he took a long draught of it, and laughed as he
did so. Then a longer draught, and laughed yet loude