158 THE RING OF NATURE 



white underwings, alights on the wall and in a 

 twinkling has withdrawn for the day into its 

 chosen crevice. A bat that may have been 

 chasing it seems to realize now that the hunting 

 hour has passed, for it flies overhead almost in 

 bee-line for its hanging-place in the manor attics. 

 Almost imperceptibly the message of dawn slides 

 into the sky. ' Strange her eyes ; her cheeks are 

 cold as cold sea shells.' The dawn comes, indeed, 

 with a faint opalescence, a running of grey rose 

 into grey blue, like a very wet water-colour painting 

 of mother-of-pearl. 



Often there is a pale moon in the sky at the same 

 time that the sun rises, but this night there has been 

 no moon. But while the fate of day and night 

 seem to be in the balance a wood owl hoots for 

 the last time, and immediately afterwards the crow 

 calls. Though mankind sleeps for another hour 

 or two, day has begun. 



