The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Isles of Sunset, by Arthur Christopher
Benson

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Title: The Isles of Sunset

Author: Arthur Christopher Benson

Release Date: July 21, 2006 [eBook #18882]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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THE ISLES OF SUNSET

by

ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER BENSON

Author of "The Hill of Trouble," &c. &c.

London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd.
No. 1 Amen Corner, E.C. 1908
Printed by
Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd.,
Bath.
(2074)

TO HUGH MACNAGHTEN

_The milkie way, the bird of Paradise,
Church-bels beyond the starres heard, the souls bloud,
The land of spices; something understood._

Geo. Herbert

_Let those whose Hearts and Hands are strong
Tell eager Tales of mighty Deeds;
Enough if my sequestered song
To hush'd and twilight Gardens leads!

Clear Waters, drawn from secret Wells
Perchance may fevered Lips assuage;
The Tales an elder Pilgrim tells
To such as go on Pilgrimage.

I wander by the waterside,
In that cool Hour my Soul loves best,
When trembles o'er the rippling Tide
A golden Stairway to the West.

Such the soft Path my Words would trace,
Thus with the moving Waters move;
So leave, across the Ocean's Face,
A glimmering Stair to Hope and Love._

Contents

The Isles of Sunset

The Waving of the Sword

Renatus

The Slype House

Out of the Sea

Paul the Minstrel

The Isles of Sunset

About midway between the two horns of the bay, the Isles of Sunset
pierced the sea. There was deep blue water all around them, and the
sharp and fretted pinnacles of rock rose steeply up to heaven. The top
of the largest was blunt, and covered with a little carpet of grass and
sea-herbs. The rest were nought but cruel spires, on which no foot but
that of sea-birds could go. At one place there was a small creek, into
wh