tarpaulin and cover him up, and let him lie on the fore-hatch."

"Shall I tell the steward to serve out grog to the men who went with
me?" I asked him.

He stared at me contemptuously, and walked away without answering.

THE SAILOR'S WIFE

From "An Iceland Fisherman," BY PIERRE LOTI

The Icelanders were all returning now. Two ships came in the second
day, four the next, and twelve during the following week. And all
through the country joy returned with them; and there was happiness for
the wives and mothers, and junkets in the taverns where the beautiful
barmaids of Paimpol served out drink to the fishers.

The _Leopoldine_ was among the belated; there were yet another ten
expected. They would not be long now; and allowing a week's delay so
as not to be disappointed, Gaud waited in happy, passionate joy for
Yann, keeping their home bright and tidy for his return. When
everything was in good order there was nothing left for her to do; and
besides, in her impatience, she could think of nothing else but her
husband.

Three more ships appeared; then another five. There were only two
lacking now.

"Come, come," they said to her cheerily, "this year the _Leopoldine_
and the _Marie-Jeanne_ will be the last, to pick up all the brooms
fallen overboard from the other craft."

Gaud laughed also. She was more animated and beautiful than ever, in
her great joy of expectancy.

But the days succeeded one another without result.

She still dressed up every day, and with a joyful look went down to the
harbor to gossip with the other wives. She said that this delay was
but natural: was it not the same event every year? These were such
safe boats, and had such capital sailors.

But when at home alone, at night, a nervous anxious shiver of
apprehension would run through her whole frame.

Was it right to be frightened already? Was there even a single reason
to be so? but she began to tremble at the mere idea of grounds for
being afraid.

The 10th of September came. How swiftly the days flew by!

One morning--a true autumn morning, with cold mist falling over the
earth in the rising sun--she sat under the porch of the chapel of the
shipwrecked mariners, where the widows go to pray; with eyes fixed and
glassy, and throbbing temples tightened as by an iron band.

These sad morning mists had begun two days before; and on this
particular day Gaud had awakened with a still more bitter uneasiness,
caused by