tempt to
rekindle it ineffectual. Even had the two men's dislike to each other's
society been less, the general din of the night would have prevented much
talking; as it was, they sat in a rigid reticence that was almost a third
personality. The roads were laid hereabouts with a light sandy gravel,
which, though not clogging, was soft and friable. It speedily became
saturated, and the wheels ground heavily and deeply into its substance.

At length, after crossing from ten to twelve miles of these eternal
heaths under the eternally drumming storm, they could discern eyelets of
light winking to them in the distance from under a nebulous brow of pale
haze. They were looking on the little town of Havenpool. Soon after
this cross-roads were reached, one of which, at right angles to their
present direction, led down on the left to that place. Here the man
stopped, and informed them that the horses would be able to go but a mile
or two further.

'Very well, we must have others that can,' said Mountclere. 'Does our
way lie through the town?'

'No, sir--unless we go there to change horses, which I thought to do. The
direct road is straight on. Havenpool lies about three miles down there
on the left. But the water is over the road, and we had better go round.
We shall come to no place for two or three miles, and then only to
Flychett.'

'What's Flychett like?'

'A trumpery small bit of a village.'

'Still, I think we had better push on,' said Sol. 'I am against running
the risk of finding the way flooded about Havenpool.'

'So am I,' returned Mountclere.

'I know a wheelwright in Flychett,' continued Sol, 'and he keeps a beer-
house, and owns two horses. We could hire them, and have a bit of sommat
in the shape of victuals, and then get on to Anglebury. Perhaps the rain
may hold up by that time. Anything's better than going out of our way.'

'Yes. And the horses can last out to that place,' said Mountclere. 'Up
and on again, my man.'

On they went towards Flychett. Still the everlasting heath, the black
hills bulging against the sky, the barrows upon their round summits like
warts on a swarthy skin. The storm blew huskily over bushes of heather
and furze that it was unable materially to disturb, and the travellers
proceeded as before. But the horses were now far from fresh, and the
time spent in reaching the next village was quite half as long as that
taken up by the previous heavy portion of the dr