"I'm in love," he declared. "Dannie," cries he, "I--I'm--_in love_!"
And now a peculiar change came upon the world, of which I must tell:
whatever there had been of omen or beauty or curious departure from
the natural appearance of sea and sky--whatever of interest or moment
upon the brooding shore or abroad on the uttermost waters beyond
it--quite vanished from my cognizance. 'Twas a drear day and place I
dwelt in, a very dull world, not enlivened by peril or desirable
object or the difficulty of toil, not excused or in any way made
tolerable by a prospect of sacrificial employment. I had been ill
brought up to meet this racking emergency. What had there been, in all
my life, fostered in body and happiness, expanding in the indulgent
love and pitiably misdirected purpose of my uncle, to fit me for this
denial of pure and confident desire? I tried, God knows I tried!
summoning to my help all the poor measure of nobility the good Lord
had endowed me with and my uncle had cultivated--I tried, God knows!
to receive the communication with some wish for my friend's
advancement in happiness. In love: 'twas with Judith--there was no
other maid of Twist Tickle to be loved by this handsome, learned,
brilliantly engaging John Cather. Nay, but 'twas all plain to me now:
my deformity and perversity--my ridiculously assured aspiration
towards the maid. I had forgot John Cather--the youth and person of
him, his talents and winning accomplishments of speech and manner.
"And there she comes!" cries he.
'Twas Judith on the Whisper Cove road.
"You'll wish me luck, Dannie?" says he, rising. "I'll catch her on the
way. I'll tell her that I love her. I can wait no longer. Wish me
luck!" says he. "Wish me luck!"