28 "IN THE HARD GREY WEATHER." 



of chastisement, receives a hare bone, which he 

 crunches under the table. One may guess the 

 same scene is repeated pretty often, for Dwyer 

 is attached to the blundering old dog. No need 

 of lotos, stuffed pillows, or sleeping syrup of 

 Nepenthes, after such a day as this ; to touch 

 the bed is at once to sink into complete rest, 

 undisturbed except by a morning dream of 

 Biddy the Rambler singing with Leum Gow 

 the "Praises of Rockbarton" at a Crystal 

 Palace concert. 



CHAPTER IV. 



"IN THE HARD GREY WEATHER." 



THE iron grip of the frost is on the fen, and 

 the bitter north-east wind whistles through the 

 reeds and rushes, drowning even the roar of 

 the sea which beats sullenly on the edge of the 

 moor : 



The Cormorant on high 



Wheels from the deep and screams along the land ; 

 Loud shrieks the soaring hern, and with wild wing 

 The circling sea-fowl cleave the flaky clouds. 



