'Twill not, by any one, be hard to recall that the great gale of that
year, blowing unseasonably with snow, exhausted itself in three days,
leaving the early birds of the Labrador fleet, whose northward
flitting had been untimely, wrecked and dispersed upon the sea. In the
reaction of still, blue weather we were picked up by the steamer
_Fortune_, a sealing-craft commissioned by the government for rescue
when surmise of the disaster grew large; but we got no word of my
uncle and the fool of Twist Tickle until the fore-and-after _Every
Time_ put into St. John's with her flag flying half-mast in the warm
sunshine. 'Twas said that she had the bodies of men aboard: and 'twas
a grewsome truth--and the corpses of women, too, and of children. She
brought more than the dead to port: she brought the fool, and the
living flesh and spirit of my uncle--the old man's body ill-served by
the cold, indeed, but his soul, at sight of me, springing into a blaze
as warm and strong and cheerful as ever I had known. 'Twas all he
needed, says he, t' work a cure: the sight of a damned little grinnin'
Chesterfieldian young gentleman! Whatever the actual effect of this
genteel spectacle, my uncle was presently on his feet again, though
continuing much broken in vigor; and when he was got somewhat stronger
we set out for Twist Tickle, to which we came, three days later,
returning in honor to our own place.
The folk were glad that we were all come back to them....
* * * * *
I loved Judith: I loved the maid with what exalted wish soul and body
of me understood--conceiving her perfect in every grace and spiritual
adornment: a maid lifted like a star above the hearts of the world. I
considered my life, and counted it unworthy, as all lives must be
before her: I considered my love, but found no spot upon it. I loved
the maid: and was now grown to be a man, able, in years and strength
and skill of mind and hand, to cherish her; and I would speak to her
of this passion and dear hope, but must not, because of the mystery
concerning me. There came, then, an evening when I sought my uncle out
to question him; 'twas a hushed and compassionate hour, I recall, the
sunset waxing glorious above the remotest sea, and the night creeping
with gentle feet upon the world, to spread its soft blanket of
shadows.