the sun's path of his own motion, neither will he
scatter for our bidding. Therefore, let him be. And, indeed, I stay
here too long, my Dutchman. Who shall say but the dove sigheth already
for her truant mate? So farewell; and count me thy patron."

He came often after this, always with the same brave talk.

One day, however, he seemed more like a plain man and said: "'Tis time
thou wert up, my Hollander. There is thunder in the air, the horizon is
big with clouds, the dull sea rustleth with the coming storm, and I
smell the wind afar off."

"Why," said I, starting up, "Ludar told me but just now the weather was
fair and settled, and that the breeze was shifting to the south."

"I spoke not of the weather," said he. "Let it be. The thunder may
hide beneath a brow, the lightning may flash from out two eyelids, and
the storm may break in a man's breast."

"For Heaven's sake, speak plain," said I. "What do you mean?"

"Wait and see," said he, "I like not these French dogs. Only let thy
eye be keen, thy ear quick, and thy hand ready, my Hollander, and stand
by me when I call on thee."

More I could not get out of him. When I spoke of it to Ludar
afterwards, he said:

"Maybe the little antic is right. Yet they are too sorry a crew, and
too small to do mischief. They suspect us of carrying treasure aboard,
and your friend the captain, I take it, is the roundest villain of them
all."

I vowed the captain was no friend of mine; yet I believed him honest.
But as for the crew, it came to my mind then what the drunken fellow had
blabbed out the first night; and I said it was like enough to be true.

That afternoon I rose from my sick-bed and came on deck. I remember to
this hour the joy of that afternoon.

The day was bright and fair; land was nowhere to be seen; only a stretch
of blue-green water through which the _Misericorde_ spanked with a light
breeze at her stern. The white sails shone out in the sunlight, and the
happy gulls called to one another above our heads. As I faced round and
drank in mouthful after mouthful of the fresh salt air, my life seemed
to revive within me, and I felt the strength rush back into my thews.
But the greatest joy of all was that the maiden, seeing me stand there,
came up and bade me a joyous welcome to the upper air once more.

"Alas," said she, laughing, "it has been dull times while you have been
below, Humphrey. My good old nurse has not ceased to cry out that s