the body of the master was at
rest, but, after "life's fitful fever," did he, indeed "sleep well?"

Orvilliere Farm was shut up. The finding of the dead gull, with a
red wound in its white breast, proved conclusively that foul play
and magic had been at work on the night of the storm. The servant
and the housekeeper had been all the evening at a wedding feast, and
when they returned at five o'clock next morning they found excited
groups of people all about the farm, and they heard the story of the
death of Dominic Le Mierre.

No one would dream of living henceforth at Orvilliere. It was
haunted. People who were compelled to pass through the valley at
nightfall, saw flickering lights moving from window to window of the
farm, and heard the sudden firing of a gun, and the plaintive cry of
a wounded bird.

The wind sighed about the lonely spot. The moan of the sea
penetrated to the solitary farm. But no human creature wept for the
departed soul of the master of Orvilliere. All shuddered at his end.
Two prayed, in defiance of their scruples, for his wicked, wild
soul. And these were only an old woman and her fisherman son.

CHAPTER IX.

It was a still, beautiful evening in summer. Perrin Corbet was free
till ten o'clock, when he would go fishing with Jean Cartier. It was
very lonely now in the cottage, for Perrin's mother was dead, and he
spent very little time at home. This special evening he decided to
make a pilgrimage to the churchyard of St. Pierre du Bois where his
mother was buried. Her grave was close to the church in a place of
long grass and overshadowing trees. As Perrin entered the churchyard
he saw that a woman was bending over the grave: he knew at once who
it was, and his heart beat quicker. It was so long since he had seen
her and spoken with her!

When he was quite close, she turned round, and he saw that she had
been crying. On the grave she had put a rude cross of _immortelles_.

"Ellenor," he said quietly, "I did not expect to see you. I thought
you were yet in Sark."

"I came back this morning by the early cutter. I was longing to get
back home."

"And we have been longing for you to come back! It is kind of you to
put flowers here. Ah, it is always a woman who thinks of those
things! We are such stupid creatures, we men! She who lies here so
often said that to me. I miss her more and more, Ellenor."

"Poor Perrin!" she said softly, and for one long moment she looked
into the faith