Then another long silence, and soon he felt the lady leaning more
heavily against him. The head drooped and he knew she slumbered. Having
no wish to disturb her, he sat for a while without moving, and watched
the moon and thought delectable thoughts of the creature by his side.
And as his thoughts, involuntarily, and in an amiable spirit, travelled
back to Father Burke, he smiled as he pictured quite a different
expression on the face of the priest when he should learn what had
happened. And the smile seemed reflected in the radiant countenance of
the big, round moon mounting slowly in the heavens. She appeared to beam
approval upon him and upon the precious burden he supported. But with
the drowsiness which soon came stealing over him he saw--or dreamed he
saw--out in the glistening path of light between the moon and him, not
far from where he sat, an object like a human face, upturned, moving
gently with the waves. And mingling among the quivering moonbeams around
the head was a silvery halo that might be the hair of Father Burke; for
the face resembled his.
Pats was startled and became wide awake. Even then, he thought he had a
glimpse of the face with its silver hair, as it drifted out of the bar
of light into the darkness, slowly, toward the sea.
[Illustration]