issing her; and the tears stood in his
eyes; and he thought in himself that God was very wise; for if he had
had a home of his own, and children whom he loved, he could never have
found it in his heart to leave them. So he went out.

Then he climbed up the steep path that led to the downs, and so to
the bay where the Isles lay. And just as he reached the top, the moon
ran out from a long bank of cloud; and he saw the village lie beneath
him, very peaceful in the moonlight; there were lights in some of the
windows; the roofs were silvered in the clear radiance of the moon,
and the shadows lay dark between. He could see the little streets,
every inch of which he knew, and the port below. He could see the
coast stretch away to the east, headland after headland, growing
fainter; and the great spaces of the sea, with the moon glittering on
the waves. There was a holy and solemn peace about it all; and though
his life had not been a happy one there, he knew in a flash that the
place was very dear to his heart, and he said a prayer to God, that He
would guard and cherish the village and those that dwelt there. Then
he turned, and went on to the downs; and presently descended by a
steep path to the sea, through the thickets. He took off his clothes,
and tied them in a pack on his back; and then he stepped quietly into
the bright water, which lapped very softly against the shore, a little
wave every now and then falling gently, followed by a long rustling of
the water on the sand, and a silence till the next wave fell. He waded
on till he could swim, and then struck out to where the Isles stood,
all sharp and bright in the moon. He swam with long quiet strokes,
hearing the water ripple past; and soon the great crags loomed out
above him, and he heard the waves fall among their rocky coves. At
last he felt the ground beneath his feet; and coming out of the water
he dressed himself, and then--for he would not venture on the cliffs
in the uncertain light--gathering up some dried weeds of the sea, he
made a pillow for his head and slept, in a wonderful peace of mind,
until the moon set; and not long after there came a pale light over
the sea in the east, brightening slowly, until at last the sun, like a
fiery ball, broke upwards from the sea; and it was day.

Now when David awoke in the broad daylight, he found himself full of
a great joy and peace. He seemed, as it were, to have leaped over a
wide ditch, and to see the world acros