''THE TOILERS OF THE SEAr 17 



lithographic ink, were the words, " Sietir Clubinr The skull, the 

 bones, and the belt were all that remained of the robber ard 

 hypocrite: the "devil-fish" had held him under water and drowned 

 him ; the crabs had eaten him. 



Gilliatt started on his return passage to Guernsey in joyful 

 certainty that he had earned the fulfilment of his wishes. Deni- 

 chette would be his wife. He had saved the engine of her father's 

 vessel, and, more than that, had recovered the old man's stolen 

 fortune. True to his natural shrinking from observation, he timed 

 his voyage so that he arrived in port after dark, moored his sloop 

 with her cargo of machinery to the old ring in the harbour wall 

 to which the '' Durande's " cable used to be made fast, and then, 

 without announcing his return to anyone, retired to a nook over- 

 hung with brambles and ivy, where he had often watched for 

 hours — himself unseen, and his love unsuspected — the house 

 where dwelt the mistress of his heart, and the garden in which she 

 often walked. Near him, at the side of one of the paths, was a 

 rustic seat. As he gazed fixedly on the windows of her chamber, 

 and thought rapturously of his future happiness, Deruchette her- 

 self left the house and came towards him. She sat down on the 

 bench, in his full view, and with pensive, meditative air, remained 

 motionless, as if in a dream. The thought of speaking to her 

 never entered his head. He saw her, was near her — that was 

 enough for him for the moment. A sound of approaching foot- 

 steps roused her from her reverie, and him from his ecstasy. It 

 was the young rector, the Rev. Ebenezer Caudray, who had 

 sought her to make her an offer of marriage before leaving for 

 England on the following morning. Unhappy Gilliatt was a wit- 

 ness of his pleadings, her yielding, their betrothal and embrace. 



Meanwhile Lathierry had seen from his window the funnel of 

 the " Durande" standing at the old moorings ; and, scarcely believ- 

 ing his eyes, rushed to the harbour bell, and rang it long and 

 violently. Amongst those who appeared was Gilliatt, who, accom- 

 panying him to his home, laid before him the bank-notes and 



