t; for be sure it is a great gift--it may be a
divine one."

When the old lady stopped, Beth raised her head and looked about her,
as if she had just awakened from sleep. "What were we talking about
before that?" she said. "Oh, I know--the Death Watch. It has stopped."

The equinoctial gales set in early that year, and severely. Great seas
washed away the silver sands which had been the delight of the summer
visitors, leaving miles of clay exposed at low water to add to the
desolation of the scene. The bay was full of storm-stayed vessels, all
headed to the wind, close reefed, and straining at their anchors.
There were days when the steamers had to steam full speed ahead in
order to keep at their berths; and then the big sailing ships would
drag their anchors and come drifting, drifting helplessly towards the
shore, and have to fly before the gale if they could, or take their
chance of stranding if the water were low, or being battered to bits
against the cliffs if the tide were in. Many a time Beth stood among
the fishermen watching, waiting, praying; her whole being centred on
some hapless crew, making for the harbour, but almost certain to be
carried past. There was a chain down the middle of the pier in the
winter to prevent people from being washed off, and she had stood
clinging to this, and seen a great ship, with one ragged sail
fluttering from a broken mast, carried before the wind right on to the
pier-head, which it struck with a crash that displaced great blocks of
granite as if they had been sponge-cakes; and when it struck, the
doomed sailors on its decks sent up an awful shriek, to which those on
the pier responded. Then there was a pause. Beth held her breath and
heard nothing; but she saw the ship slip back, back--down amongst the
mountainous waves, which sported with it once or twice, tossed it up,
and sucked it down, tossed it again, then suddenly engulfed it. On the
water afterwards there were ropes and spars, and dark things bobbing
like corks, but she knew they were men in mortal agony; and she found
herself shouting encouragement, telling them to hold on bravely, help
was coming--the lifeboat! the lifeboat! She joined in the sob of
excitement too, and the cheers of relief when it returned with its
crew complete, and five poor wretches rescued--only five out of
fifteen, but still----

"Blessed be God," said the old priest, "for those whom He has received
into glory; and blessed be His holy name f