mere numb lump.

How much of his wrong-doing is forgiven to a man--and how much
remembered against him in the reckoning?

How awful this gruesome isolation was becoming!

Was it thus a man went drifting up to God?

The figure at the oars was crooning softly. It was like the lullaby his
mother used to sing to him when he was a child.

There was a breath of freer air--humanity lay behind them--they were
alone with Nature on the vast, dim sea.

The numbness crept to the roots of his being. He had no hands to lift;
he had no feet to move. His heart grew sluggish: there was a numbness in
his brain.

Death stood upright now in the bow before him: and in the east he was
aware of a widening breadth of grey.

Would the blackness freshen into perfect day for him . . . or would the
night lie hopelessly on him for ever? . . .

The figure drew near--and laid its hand across his eyes. . . .

* * * * *

"Thrown out of the hansom, and the wheels went over him, sir. He was
dead in less than five minutes, I should think."

"Cover his face . . . and break it gently to his wife."

THE MAN WHO COULD TALK WITH THE BIRDS.

A TALE TOLD BY THE FIRESIDE.

WANCE upon a time there was a youngster in Zennor who was all'ys
geekin'[B] into matters that warn't no use in the world. Some do say 'a
was cliver, too, weth it all, an' cut out that there mermaid in the
church[C] what the folks do come from miles round to see. Anyway, 'a
warn't like 'es brawthers an' sesters, an' 'es folks dedn' knaw what to
maake of un, like.

Well, wan day when 'a was wand'rin' about, down to Nancledrea or some
such plaace, 'a got 'mong lots o' trees an' bushes an' heerd the cuckoos
callin' to ayche awther, an' awther kinds o' birds what was singin' or
talkin,' an' all as knawin' as humans, like. So no rest now cud 'a git,
poor chuckle-head! for wantin' to larn to spayke weth they.

Well, it warn't long arter that 'a was geekin' as usual round some owld
ruined crellas[D] up to Choon, when 'a seed a man weth a long white
beard settin' on wan o' the burrows[E] on the hill that are 'longside
that owld Quoit[F] up there.

'A was a bowldish piece o' goods, was the youngster, simmin'ly, for 'a
dedn' mind the stranyer a dinyun,[G] though 'a _was_ like an owld black
witch,[H] they do say. Anyhow, the two beginned jawin' together, soon
got thick as Todgy an' Tom. An' by-an'-by the stranyer wormed out of un
how 'a was all'