And now, as the
night was senescent, And star-dials pointed to morn -- As the star-dials hinted of morn -- At the end of our path a liquescent And nebulous lustre was born, Out of which a miraculous crescent Arose with a duplicate horn -- Astarte's bediamonded crescent, Distinct with its duplicate horn.
So he had eschewed all love-making, regulated his dual life, cleaned up a million in business, fought shy of match-making mamas and bright-eyed and eager young ladies of various ages, met Lilian Gersdale and made it a rigid observance never to see her later than eight o'clock in the evening, run of
nights after his coyotes, and slept in forest lairs--and through it all had kept his secret safe save Lee Sing .
Tired and sleepy, he naturally anticipated a good
night's rest.
Notwithstanding the lassitude and fatigue which oppressed him now, in common with his two companions, and indeed with all who had taken an active share in that
night's work, Hugh's boisterous merriment broke out afresh whenever he looked at Simon Tappertit, and vented itself--much to that gentleman's indignation--in such shouts of laughter as bade fair to bring the watch upon them, and involve them in a skirmish, to which in their present worn-out condition they might prove by no means equal.
With that refuge as a base, I could face this strange world with some of that confidence I had lost in realizing to what creatures
night by
night I lay exposed.
It was past seven o'clock at
night when the grand- mother came home with the pocket-book held tightly in her old hands and she was so excited she could scarcely speak.
So all my day-dreams follow The bird that leaves the nest; And in the
night I gather The lost one to my breast.
I'll watch the whole
night long, and I'll do it every
night, too, if you'll do the other part of the job."
Soon the
night nursery was in darkness, but for the glimmer from the night-light, and very still save when the door creaked as a man peered in at the little figure on the bed.
"Then I'll stick in mine," said I impulsively, "and I'll come with you, and doss down in any corner for the
night."
On the eighth
night a fearful storm of wind and rain came on while the Herd-boy was on his way to bring the beautiful girl another bag of gold.
It was while gliding through these latter waters that one serene and moonlight
night, when all the waves rolled by like scrolls of silver; and, by their soft, suffusing seethings, made what seemed a silvery silence, not a solitude: on such a silent
night a silvery jet was seen far in advance of the white bubbles at the bow.