On thy cold grey stones,O sea!
Stephen had said that he should come by way of Bristol,and thence by a steamer to Castle Boterel,in order to avoid the long journey over the hills from St.Launces.He did not know of the extension of the railway to Camelton.
During the afternoon a thought occurred to Elfride,that from any cliff along the shore it would be possible to see the steamer some hours before its arrival.
She had accumulated religious force enough to do an act of supererogation.The act was this--to go to some point of land and watch for the ship that brought her future husband home.
It was a cloudy afternoon.Elfride was often diverted from a purpose by a dull sky;and though she used to persuade herself that the weather was as fine as possible on the other side of the clouds,she could not bring about any practical result from this fancy.Now,her mood was such that the humid sky harmonized with it.
Having ascended and passed over a hill behind the house,Elfride came to a small stream.She used it as a guide to the coast.It was smaller than that in her own valley,and flowed altogether at a higher level.Bushes lined the slopes of its shallow trough;but at the bottom,where the water ran,was a soft green carpet,in a strip two or three yards wide.
In winter,the water flowed over the grass;in summer,as now,it trickled along a channel in the midst.
Elfride had a sensation of eyes regarding her from somewhere.She turned,and there was Mr.Knight.He had dropped into the valley from the side of the hill.She felt a thrill of pleasure,and rebelliously allowed it to exist.
What utter loneliness to find you in!
I am going to the shore by tracking the stream.I believe it empties itself not far off,in a silver thread of water,over a cascade of great height.
Why do you load yourself with that heavy telescope?
To look over the sea with it,she said faintly.
Ill carry it for you to your journeys end.And he took the glass from her unresisting hands.It cannot be half a mile further.See,there is the water.He pointed to a short fragment of level muddy-gray colour,cutting against the sky.