ed darkly, and the
wildernesses spread beneath them were of an inflamed purple. The seat of
the sun was heavily obscured at this moment, and the highest
illumination cast from sky to earth broke from the north. The effect
thus imparted to the scene, though in reality no more than usual,
affected the mind as unnatural, and even sinister in its operation of
unwonted chiaro-oscuro. Presently the sullen clearness of the distance
was swept and softened by a storm. Another, falling some miles nearer,
became superimposed upon it. Immediately the darkness of the horizon
lifted and light generally increased, though every outline of the hills
themselves vanished under falling rain. The turmoil of the clouds
proceeded, and after another squall had passed there followed an aerial
battle amid towers and pinnacles and tottering precipices of sheer
gloom. The centre of illumination wheeled swiftly round to the sun as
the storm travelled north, then a few huge silver spokes of wan sunshine
turned irregularly upon the stone-strewn desert.

Will watched this elemental unrest, and it served to soothe that greater
storm of sorrows and self-condemnation then raging within him. His
nature found consolation here, the cool hand of the Mother touched his
forehead as she passed in her robe of rain, and for the first time since
childhood the man hid his face and wept.

Presently he moved forward again, walked to the valleys and wandered
towards southern Teign, unconsciously calmed by his own random movements
and the river's song. Anon, he entered the lands of Metherill, and soon
afterwards, without deliberate intention, moved through that Damnonian
village which lies there. A moment later and he stood in the hut-circle
where he himself had been born. Its double stone courses spread around
him, hiding the burrows of the rabbits; and sprung from between two
granite blocks, brave in spring verdure, with the rain twinkling in
little nests of flower buds as yet invisible, there rose a hawthorn.
Within the stones a ewe stood and suckled its young, but there was no
other sign of life. Then Blanchard, sitting here to rest and turning his
eyes whither he had come, again noticed some sudden movement, but,
looking intently at the spot, he saw nothing and returned to his own
thoughts. Sitting motionless Will retraced the brief course of his
career through long hours of thought; and though his spirit bubbled to
white heat more than once during the survey, ye