ickest
of the enemy. Nelson is a Norfolk man; and you charge through as he
does. You bear right on, and rig a gangway for the landing, which
puts them all quite upon the scream. All three cutters race after you
pell-mell, and it is much if they do not run into one another. You take
the beach, stem on, with the tide upon the ebb, and by that time it
ought to be getting on for midnight. What to do then, I need not tell
you; but make all the stand you can to spare us any hurry. But don't
give the knock-down blow if you can help it; the lawyers make such a
point of that, from their intimacy with the prize-fighters."

Clearly perceiving their duty now, these three men braced up loin, and
sailed to execute the same accordingly. For invaders and defenders were
by this time in real earnest with their work, and sure alike of having
done the very best that could be done. With equal confidence on either
side, a noble triumph was expected, while the people on the dry land
shook their heads and were thankful to be out of it. Carroway, in a
perpetual ferment, gave no peace to any of his men, and never entered
his own door; but riding, rowing, or sailing up and down, here and there
and everywhere, set an example of unflagging zeal, which was largely
admired and avoided. And yet he was not the only remarkably active man
in the neighborhood; for that great fact, and universal factor, Geoffrey
Mordacks, was entirely here. He had not broken the heart of Widow
Precious by taking up his quarters at the Thornwick Inn, as she at first
imagined, but loyally brought himself and his horse to her sign-post
for their Sunday dinner. Nor was this all, but he ordered the very best
bedroom, and the "coral parlor"--as he elegantly called the sea-weedy
room--gave every child, whether male or female, sixpence of new mintage,
and created such impression on her widowed heart that he even won the
privilege of basting his own duck. Whatever this gentleman did never
failed to reflect equal credit on him and itself. But thoroughly well
as he basted his duck, and efficiently as he consumed it, deeper things
were in his mind, and moving with every mouthful. If Captain Carroway
labored hard on public and royal service, no less severely did Mordacks
work, though his stronger sense of self-duty led him to feed the labor
better. On the Monday morning he had a long and highly interesting talk
with the magisterial rector, to whom he set forth certain portions of
his p