252 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



Let us witness, with him, the dawn of a 

 summer day : 



" The star went on. In the meadows of the 

 vale far away doubtless there were sounds of 

 the night. On the hills it was absolute silence 

 profound rest. They slept peacefully, and 

 the moon rose to the meridian. The pale 

 white glow on the northern horizon slipped 

 towards the east. After a while a change 

 came over the night. The hills and coombes 

 became gray and more distinct, the sky lighter, 

 the stars faint, the moon that had been ruddy 

 became yellow, and then almost white. 



" Yet a little while, and one by one the 

 larks arose from the grass, and first twittering 

 and vibrating their brown wings just above 

 the hawthorn bushes, presently breasted the 

 aerial ascent, and sang at 'Heaven's Gate/ 



" Geoffrey awoke and leaned upon his arm ; 

 his first thought was of Margaret, and he 

 looked towards the copse. All was still ; then 

 in the dawn the strangeness of that hoary relic 

 of the past sheltering so lovely a form came 

 home to him. Next he gazed eastwards. 



