t?"

"No."

"Who is crying now? I hear some one crying bitterly."

"That is not true--it is the roaring of the sea."

"Oh, Haggart! Of what great sorrow does that voice speak?"

"Be silent, Mariet. It is the roaring of the sea."

Silence.

"Is everything ended now, Haggart?"

"Everything is ended, Mariet."

Mariet, imploring, says:

"Gart! Only one motion of the hand! Right here--against the
heart--Gart!"

"No. Leave me alone."

"Only one motion of the hand! Here is your knife. Have pity on me, kill
me with your hand. Only one motion of your hand, Gart!"

"Let go. Give me my knife."

"Gart, I bless you! One motion of your hand, Gart!"

Haggart tears himself away, pushing the woman aside:

"No! Don't you know that it is just as hard to make one motion of the
hand as it is for the sun to come down from the sky? Good-bye, Mariet!"

"You are going away?"

"Yes, I am going away. I am going away, Mariet. That's how it sounds."

"I shall curse you, Haggart. Do you know! I shall curse you, Haggart.
And little Noni will curse you, Haggart--Haggart!"

Haggart exclaims cheerfully and harshly:

"Eh, Khorre. You, Flerio, my old friend. Come here, give me your
hand--Oh, what a powerful hand it is! Why do you pull me by the sleeve,
Khorre? You have such a funny face. I can almost see how the rope
snapped, and you came down like a sack. Flerio, old friend, I feel like
saying something funny, but I have forgotten how to say it. How do they
say it? Remind me, Flerio. What do you want, sailor?"

Khorre whispers to him hoarsely:

"Noni, be on your guard. The rope broke because they used a rotten rope
intentionally. They are betraying you! Be on your guard, Noni. Strike
them on the head, Noni."

Haggart bursts out laughing.

"Now you have said something funny. And I? Listen, Flerio, old friend.
This woman who stands and looks--No, that will not be funny!"

He advances a step.

"Khorre, do you remember how well this man prayed? Why was he killed? He
prayed so well. But there is one prayer he did not know--this one--'To
you I bring my great eternal sorrow; I am going to you, Father Ocean!'"

And a distant voice, sad and grave, replies:

"Oh, Haggart, my dear Haggart."

But who knows--perhaps it was the roaring of the waves. Many sad and
strange dreams come to man on earth.

"All aboard!" exclaims Haggart cheerily, and goes off without looking
around. Below, a gay noise of voices and laughter resounds.