followed the path through the sand-hills, and shortly struck
the shore. The tide was out and the beach firm as a rock, so he
strolled southwards to nearly the end of the bay. Here he was
attracted by two isolated rocks some little way out from the edge of
the dunes, so he strolled towards them. When he reached the nearest
one he climbed it, and, sitting there elevated some fifteen or twenty
feet over the waste of sand, enjoyed the lovely, peaceful prospect.
The moon was rising behind the headland of Pennyfold, and its light
was just touching the top of the furthermost rock of the Spurs some
three-quarters of a mile out; the rest of the rocks were in dark
shadow. As the moon rose over the headland, the rocks of the Spurs and
then the beach by degrees became flooded with light.

For a good while Mr. Markam sat and looked at the rising moon and the
growing area of light which followed its rise. Then he turned and
faced eastwards and sat with his chin in his hand looking seawards,
and revelling in the peace and beauty and freedom of the scene. The
roar of London--the darkness and the strife and weariness of London
life--seemed to have passed quite away, and he lived at the moment a
freer and higher life. He looked at the glistening water as it stole
its way over the flat waste of sand, coming closer and closer
insensibly--the tide had turned. Presently he heard a distant shouting
along the beach very far off.

'The fishermen calling to each other,' he said to himself and looked
around. As he did so he got a horrible shock, for though just then a
cloud sailed across the moon he saw, in spite of the sudden darkness
around him, his own image. For an instant, on the top of the opposite
rock he could see the bald back of the head and the Glengarry cap with
the immense eagle's feather. As he staggered back his foot slipped,
and he began to slide down towards the sand between the two rocks. He
took no concern as to failing, for the sand was really only a few feet
below him, and his mind was occupied with the figure or simulacrum of
himself, which had already disappeared. As the easiest way of reaching
_terra firma_ he prepared to jump the remainder of the distance. All
this had taken but a second, but the brain works quickly, and even as
he gathered himself for the spring he saw the sand below him lying so
marbly level shake and shiver in an odd way. A sudden fear overcame
him; his knees failed, and instead of jumping he slid mi