ing, but smiled at her vivacity, while he deprecated her
words by a wave of his hand. I also was silent for a moment; for there
had come to my mind, while she was speaking and I was watching the
scene, something that Hungerford had said to me once on board the
'Fulvia'. "Marmion," said he, "when everything at sea appears so
absolutely beautiful and honest that it thrills you, and you're itching
to write poetry, look out. There's trouble ahead. It's only the pretty
pause in the happy scene of the play before the villain comes in and
tumbles things about. When I've been on the bridge," he continued, "of
a night that set my heart thumping, I knew, by Jingo! it was the devil
playing his silent overture. Don't you take in the twaddle about God
sending thunderbolts; it's that old war-horse down below.--And then
I've kept a sharp lookout, for I knew as right as rain that a company of
waterspouts would be walking down on us, or a hurricane racing to catch
us broadsides. And what's gospel for sea is good for land, and you'll
find it so, my son."

I was possessed of the same feeling now as I looked at the scene before
us, and I suppose I seemed moody, for immediately Mrs. Falchion said:
"Why, now my words have come true; the scene can be made perfect. Pray
step down to the valley, Dr. Marmion, and complete the situation, for
you are trying to seem serious, and it is irresistibly amusing--and
professional, I suppose; one must not forget that you teach the young
'sawbones' how to saw."

I was piqued, annoyed. I said, though I admit it was not cleverly said:
"Mrs. Falchion, I am willing to go and complete that situation, if you
will go with me; for you would provide the tragedy--plenty of it; there
would be the full perihelion of elements; your smile is the incarnation
of the serious."

She looked at me full in the eyes. "Now that," she said, "is a very good
'quid pro quo'--is that right?--and I have no doubt that it is more or
less true; and for a doctor to speak truth and a professor to be under
stood is a matter for angels. And I actually believe that, in time,
you will be free from priggishness, and become a brilliant
conversationalist; and--suppose we wander on to our proper places in the
scene.... Besides, I want to see that strange man, Mr. Boldrick."

CHAPTER XIV. THE PATH OF THE EAGLE

We travelled slowly down the hillside into the village, and were about
to turn towards the big mill when we saw Mr. Devlin and Ru