et in the lightning, with its glad recognition
turning to ghastly despair, and to hear a cry which never ceased to
echo in his soul.

In the morning the storm was over and all was smiling again, except
that the sea was still boisterous with its unspent fury. Great pieces
of wreck drifted into the port, and the sea around the island rock was
strewn with others. Two bodies also drifted into the harbour--one the
master of the wrecked ketch, the other a strange seaman whom no one
knew.

Sarah saw nothing of Eric till the evening, and then he only looked
in for a minute. He did not come into the house, but simply put his
head in through the open window.

'Well, Sarah,' he called out in a loud voice, though to her it did not
ring truly, 'is the wedding dress done? Sunday week, mind! Sunday
week!'

Sarah was glad to have the reconciliation so easy; but, womanlike,
when she saw the storm was over and her own fears groundless, she at
once repeated the cause of offence.

'Sunday so be it,' she said without looking up, 'if Abel isn't there
on Saturday!' Then she looked up saucily, though her heart was full of
fear of another outburst on the part of her impetuous lover. But the
window was empty; Eric had taken himself off, and with a pout she
resumed her work. She saw Eric no more till Sunday afternoon, after
the banns had been called the third time, when he came up to her
before all the people with an air of proprietorship which half-pleased
and half-annoyed her.

'Not yet, mister!' she said, pushing him away, as the other girls
giggled. 'Wait till Sunday next, if you please--the day after
Saturday!' she added, looking at him saucily. The girls giggled again,
and the young men guffawed. They thought it was the snub that touched
him so that he became as white as a sheet as he turned away. But
Sarah, who knew more than they did, laughed, for she saw triumph
through the spasm of pain that overspread his face.

The week passed uneventfully; however, as Saturday drew nigh Sarah had
occasional moments of anxiety, and as to Eric he went about at
night-time like a man possessed. He restrained himself when others
were by, but now and again he went down amongst the rocks and caves
and shouted aloud. This seemed to relieve him somewhat, and he was
better able to restrain himself for some time after. All Saturday he
stayed in his own house and never left it. As he was to be married on
the morrow, the neighbours thought it was shynes