as if the solid earth were
giving way.

"Those was the high tide waves," said Tony. "If us hadn' a-come out
both they boats 'ould ha' been losted. Yu've a-saved John his--all by
chance. Aye! that's like 'tis wi' us, I tell thee. Yu never knows.--Be
'ee going to bed now?"

I stayed out a little while longer: the loss of boats means so much to
men whose only capital they are. Just after Tony had gone in, the
clouds parted and the moonlight burst with a sudden glory over the sea.
In the moonglade, which reached from my feet to the far horizon, the
waters heaved and curled, most silvery, as if they were alive. That was
the wistful gentle sea from which, but a moment or two before, we had
wrested back our property--that sea of little strivings within a large
peace. I thought at the time that there was surely a God, and that as
surely He was there. For which reason, I was glad, when I came in
house, that Tony had gone on to bed.

* * * * *

This morning John asked me: "Whu's been moving my boat?"

"The sea, last night."

"Oh...."

"I'm going to make a salvage claim on your insurance company."

"H'm?"

"Happened to be out here and hung on, or else she'd have been swept
down the beach."

"Did you?"

"That's it--while yu were snug."

"Have 'ee got a cigarette on yu?--Match?--Thank yu."

8

[Sidenote: _MRS PINN_]

When I came into the kitchen early last evening, there was an old woman
sitting bolt upright in the courting chair. At least, I came to the
conclusion that she really was old after a moment or two's
watchfulness. Her flowered hat, her shape--though a little angular and
stiff,--her gestures and her bright lively damson-coloured eyes were
all youthful enough. But one could see that her inquiet hands, which
were folded on her lap, had been worn by many a washing-day. Her skin,
though wrinkled, was taut over the outstanding facial bones, as if the
wrinkles might have opened out and have equalized the strain, had age
not hardened them to brown cracks--and the tan of her complexion had
old age's lack of clearness. As so often happens when the teeth remain
good in spite of receding gums, her mouth was tightly stretched
semicircular-wise around them, and the lips had become a long, very
long, expressionless line, shaded into prominence, as in a drawing, by
a multitude of lines up and down, from chin and nose;--a Simian jaw,
remindful of the Descent of Man. All th