see nobody at this hour, and on this solitary road, likely to
overhear your conversation--is it, therefore, necessary that you should
carry your lips forward to hers? The little carriage is creeping on at one
mile an hour; and the parties within it, being thus tenderly engaged, are
naturally bending down their heads. Between them and eternity, to all human
calculation, there is but a minute and a half. What is it that I shall do?
Strange it is, and to a mere auditor of the tale, might seem laughable,
that I should need a suggestion from the _Iliad_ to prompt the sole
recourse that remained. But so it was. Suddenly I remembered the shout of
Achilles, and its effect. But could I pretend to shout like the son of
Peleus, aided by Pallas? No, certainly: but then I needed not the shout
that should alarm all Asia militant; a shout would suffice, such as should
carry terror into the hearts of two thoughtless young people, and one
gig horse. I shouted--and the young man heard me not. A second time I
shouted--and now he heard me, for now he raised his head.

Here, then, all had been done that, by me, _could_ be done: more on _my_
part was not possible. Mine had been the first step: the second was for the
young man: the third was for God. If, said I, the stranger is a brave man,
and if, indeed, he loves the young girl at his side--or, loving her not, if
he feels the obligation pressing upon every man worthy to be called a man,
of doing his utmost for a woman confided to his protection--he will at
least make some effort to save her. If _that_ fails, he will not perish the
more, or by a death more cruel, for having made it; and he will die as a
brave man should, with his face to the danger, and with his arm about the
woman that he sought in vain to save. But if he makes no effort, shrinking,
without a struggle, from his duty, he himself will not the less certainly
perish for this baseness of poltroonery. He will die no less: and why not?
Wherefore should we grieve that there is one craven less in the world? No;
_let_ him perish, without a pitying thought of ours wasted upon him; and,
in that case, all our grief will be reserved for the fate of the helpless
girl, who now, upon the least shadow of failure in _him_, must, by the
fiercest of translations--must, without time for a prayer--must, within
seventy seconds, stand before the judgment-seat of God.

But craven he was not: sudden had been the call upon him, and sudden was
his answ