d half roasted over the fire. Between his plunges Padda
would hunch up and purr over Meon with the tears running down his face.
I never knew before that seals could weep for joy--as I have wept.

'"Surely," said Eddi, with his mouth full, "God has made the seal the
loveliest of His creatures in the water. Look how Padda breasts the
current! He stands up against it like a rock; now watch the chain of
bubbles where he dives; and now--there is his wise head under that rock
ledge! Oh, a blessing be on thee, my little brother Padda!"

'"You _said_ he was a child of the Devil!" Meon laughed.

'"There I sinned," poor Eddi answered. "Call him here, and I will ask
his pardon. God sent him out of the storm to humble me, a fool."

'"I won't ask you to enter into fellowships and understandings with any
accursed brute," said Meon, rather unkindly. "Shall we say he was sent
to our Bishop as the ravens were sent to your prophet Elijah?"

'"Doubtless that is so," said Eddi. "I will write it so if I live to get
home."

'"No--no!" I said. "Let us three poor men kneel and thank God for His
mercies."

'We kneeled, and old Padda shuffled up and thrust his head under Meon's
elbows. I laid my hand upon it and blessed him. So did Eddi.

'"And now, my son," I said to Meon, "shall I baptize thee?"

'"Not yet," said he. "Wait till we are well ashore and at home. No God
in any Heaven shall say that I came to him or left him because I was wet
and cold. I will send Padda to my people for a boat. Is that witchcraft,
Eddi?"

'"Why, no. Surely Padda will go and pull them to the beach by the skirts
of their gowns as he pulled me in Wittering Church to ask me to sing.
Only then I was afraid, and did not understand," said Eddi.

'"You are understanding now," said Meon, and at a wave of his arm off
went Padda to the mainland, making a wake like a war-boat till we lost
him in the rain. Meon's people could not bring a boat across for some
hours; even so it was ticklish work among the rocks in that tideway. But
they hoisted me aboard, too stiff to move, and Padda swam behind us,
barking and turning somersaults all the way to Manhood End!'

'Good old Padda!' murmured Dan.

'When we were quite rested and re-clothed, and his people had been
summoned--not an hour before--Meon offered himself to be baptized.'

'Was Padda baptized too?' Una asked.

'No, that was only Meon's joke. But he sat blinking on his ox-hide in
the middle of the hall. When Ed