imbed
down after it: and he stood in the quiet crowd watching the
light-house above and the lamps which the groom had lit in Honoria's
carriage, and listening to the bated voices of the few at their
dreadful task below.

It was five o'clock and past before the word came up to lower the
tackle and draw the coffin up. The Vicar clambered out to wait it,
and when it came, borrowed a lantern and headed the bearers.
The crowd fell in behind.

"I am the resurrection and the life. . . ."

They began to shuffle forwards and up the difficult track; but
presently came to a halt with one accord, the Vicar ceasing in the
middle of a sentence.

Out of the night, over the hidden sea, came the sound of men's voices
lifted, thrilling the darkness thrice: the sound of three British
cheers.

Whose were the voices? They never knew. A few had noticed as
twilight fell a brig in the offing, standing inshore as she tacked
down channel. She, no doubt, as they worked in their circle of
torchlight, had sailed in close before going about, her crews
gathered forward, her master perhaps watching through his night-glass
had guessed the act, saluted it, and passed on her way unknown to her
own destiny.

They strained their eyes. A man beside Taffy declared he could see
something--the faint glow of a binnacle lamp as she stood away.
Taffy could see nothing. The voice ahead began to speak again.
The Vicar, pausing now and again to make sure of his path, was
reading from a page which he held close to his lantern.

"Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold
the land that is very far off.

"Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech
than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue that thou
canst not understand.

"But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad
rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars,
neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

"For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord
is our king; he will save us.

"Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their
mast, they could not spread the sail; then is the prey of a
great spoil divided; the lame take the prey."

Here the Vicar turned back a page, and his voice rang higher:

"Behold a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall
rule in judgment.

"And a man shall be as an