th in God! He accused himself for a monster
of ingratitude, whose sins invited the sky to fall and blot him out.
And still he could not meet Molly's eyes; still, in spite of checks
and set-backs, the doubt grew.

It was almost at its worst one morning in late August, when the
Rector invited him to lay by his drawings and walk beside him as far
as Froddingham, where he had business to transact. (It was to pay
over 5 pounds, and meet a note given by him in the spring to keep
Charles in pocket-money.) Had Johnny been in a more charitable mood,
the accent in which the old man proffered the invitation would have
struck him as pathetic. For the Rector it was indeed a rare
confession of weakness. But three weeks before his purblind nag
Mettle had stumbled, flung him, trailed him a few yards on the ground
with one foot in the stirrup, and come to a standstill with one hoof
planted blunderingly on his other foot. It had been a narrow escape,
had caused him excruciating pain, and he limped still. To walk, even
with a stick, was impossible. But the money must be paid at
Froddingham and he would trust no messenger. So he mounted the mare,
Bounce, and set forth at a foot-pace, with Johnny striding alongside
and noting how the white palsied hand shook on the rein.
Johnny noted it without pity: for the doubt was awake and clamorous.
If ever he hated his benefactor, he hated him that morning.

The morning was gray, with a blusterous south-west wind of more than
summer strength; and the floods had subsided, but the Trent, barely
contained within its banks, was running down on a fierce ebb-tide.
They reached Althorpe, and while waiting for the horse-boat to cross
to Burringham, Johnny found time to wonder at the force of two or
three gusts which broke on the lapping water and drove it like white
smoke against the bows of a black keel, wind-bound and anchored in
mid-channel about fifty yards down-stream.

It turned out that the ferryman, who worked the horse-boat with his
eldest son, had himself walked over to Bottesford earlier in the
morning: and Johnny felt some uneasiness at finding his place
supplied by a boy scarcely fourteen. Mr. Wesley, however, seemed in
no apprehension, but coaxed Bounce to embark and stood with her
amidships, holding her bridle, as the boat was pushed off.
Johnny took his seat, fronting the elder lad, who pulled the stern
oar.

They started in a lull of the wind. Johnny's first thought of danger