utts beneath the lappets. "Death for
at least three men," he muttered, "if they are fools enough to meddle
with me. My faith, these Darlings are grown very grand, on the strength
of the land that belongs to us!"

For he heard the popping of champagne corks, and the clink of abundant
silver, and tuning of instruments by the band, and he saw the flash of
lights, and the dash of serving-men, and the rush of hot hospitality;
and although he had not enough true fibre in his stomach to yearn for
a taste of the good things going round, there can be little doubt, from
what he did thereafter, that his gastric juices must have turned to
gall.

With all these sounds and sights and scents of things that he had no
right to despise, his patience was tried for an hour and a half, or at
any rate he believed so. The beautiful glow in the west died out, where
the sun had been ripening his harvest-field of sheafy gold and awny
cloud; and the pulse of quivering dusk beat slowly, so that a man might
seem to count it, or rather a child, who sees such things, which later
men lose sight of. The forms of the deepening distances against the
departure of light grew faint, and prominent points became obscure, and
lines retired into masses, while Carne maintained his dreary watch,
with his mood becoming darker. As the sound of joyful voices, and of
good-will doubled by good fare, came to his unfed vigil from the open
windows of the dining-room, his heart was not enlarged at all, and
the only solace for his lips was to swear at British revelry. For the
dining-room was at the western end, some fifty yards away from him, and
its principal window faced the sunset, but his lurking-place afforded a
view of the southern casements obliquely. Through these he had seen
that the lamps were brought, and heard the increase of merry noise, the
clapping of hands, and the jovial cheers at the rising of the popular
Marquis.

At last he saw a white kerchief waved at the window nearest to him, the
window of the Admiral's little study, which opened like a double door
upon the eastern grass-plat. With an ill-conditioned mind, and body
stiff and lacking nourishment, he crossed the grass in a few long
strides, and was admitted without a word.

"What a time you have been! I was giving it up," he whispered to the
trembling Dolly. "Where are the candles? I must strike a light. Surely
you might have brought one. Bolt the door, while I make a light, and
close the curtain