gathered from her mother's cry when she beheld their leader.
Moreover that fact would supply their motive in carrying off the
unfortunate little creature, and rearing her among them, and as one of
their own family; yet hiding her true birth from her. She was a "great
card," as we say, when playing All-fours at Christmas-time; and if one
of them could marry her, before she learned of right and wrong, vast
property, enough to buy pardons for a thousand Doones, would be at their
mercy. And since I was come to know Lorna better, and she to know me
thoroughly--many things had been outspoken, which her early bashfulness
had kept covered from me. Attempts I mean to pledge her love to this
one, or that other; some of which perhaps might have been successful, if
there had not been too many.

And then, as her beauty grew richer and brighter, Carver Doone was
smitten strongly, and would hear of no one else as a suitor for her; and
by the terror of his claim drove off all the others. Here too may the
explanation of a thing which seemed to be against the laws of human
nature, and upon which I longed, but dared not to cross-question Lorna.
How could such a lovely girl, although so young, and brave, and distant,
have escaped the vile affections of a lawless company?

But now it was as clear as need be. For any proven violence would have
utterly vitiated all claim upon her grand estate; at least as those
claims must be urged before a court of equity. And therefore all the
elders (with views upon her real estate) kept strict watch on the
youngers, who confined their views to her personality.

Now I do not mean to say that all this, or the hundred other things
which came, crowding consideration, were half as plain to me at the
time, as I have set them down above. Far be it from me to deceive you
so. No doubt my thoughts were then dark and hazy, like an oil-lamp full
of fungus; and I have trimmed them, as when they burned, with scissors
sharpened long afterwards. All I mean to say is this, that jogging along
to a certain tune of the horse's feet, which we call "three-halfpence
and twopence," I saw my way a little into some things which had puzzled
me.

When I knocked at the little door, whose sill was gritty and grimed with
sand, no one came for a very long time to answer me, or to let me in.
Not wishing to be unmannerly, I waited a long time, and watched the sea,
from which the wind was blowing; and whose many lips of waves--though
t