d far below the cottage, across meadows and
the hidden village of Byestry, lay the sea.

It lay blue and sparkling, flecked with a myriad moving specks of gold,
as the sunshine fell on the dancing water. He had seen it at close
quarters last night, from the little quay, seen it smooth and grey, its
breast heaving now and then as if in gentle sleep. To-day it was awake,
alive, and buoyant. He must get down to it again. It was inviting him,
smiling, dimpling, alluring.

He made a quick but exceedingly careful toilet. Antony was fastidious to
a degree in the matter of cleanliness. Earth dirt he had no objection to;
slovenly dirt was as abhorrent to him as vice.

Josephus, who had slept in the parlour, accorded him a hearty welcome on
his descent of the narrow steep little stairs, intimating that he was
every whit as ready to be up and doing as was his master. The sunshine,
the blithesomeness of the morning was infectious. You felt yourself
smiling in accord with its smiles.

Antony flung wide the cottage door. A scent of rosemary, southernwood,
and verbena was wafted to him from the little garden,--clean,
old-fashioned scents, English in their very essence. Anon he had more
commonplace scents mingling with them,--the appetizing smell of fried
sausages, the aromatic odour of freshly made coffee. Josephus found
himself in two minds as to the respective merits of the attractions
without, and the alluring odours within. Finally, after one scamper round
the garden, he compromised by seating himself on the doorstep, for the
most part facing the sunshine, but now and again turning a wet black nose
in the direction of the breakfast table and frying-pan.

An hour or so later he was giving himself wholeheartedly to the grassy
and rabbitty scents dear to a doggy soul, as he scampered in the
direction of Byestry with his master. Occasionally he made side tracks
into hedges and down rabbit holes, whence at a whistle from Antony, he
would emerge innocent in expression, but utterly condemned by traces of
red earth on his black nose and white back.

There was a lazy Sundayish atmosphere about the village as Antony passed
through it, with Josephus now at his heels. Men lounged by cottage doors,
women gossiped across garden fences. The only beings with an object in
view appeared to be children,--crimp-haired little girls, and
stiffly-suited small boys, who walked in chattering groups in the
direction of a building he rightly judged to