miracle ; for here, surely, I should see the won- 

 der worked, so wide was the open, so full, so 

 frank the moon. 



In the yellow light I could make out the line 

 of sentinel trees across the marsh, and off on the 

 bay a ship, looming dim in the distance, coming 

 on with wind and tide. There were no sounds 

 except the long regular wash of the waves, the 

 stir of the breeze in the chafing sedges, and the 

 creepy stepping of the water weaving every- 

 where through the hidden paths of the grass. 

 Presently a night-hawk began to flit about me, 

 then another and another, skimming just above 

 the marsh as silent as the shadows. What was 

 that? Something moved across the moon. In 

 a moment, bat-like and huge against the great 

 yellow disk, appeared a marsh-owl. He was 

 coming to look at me. What was I that dared 

 remain abroad in the marsh after the rising of 

 the moon? that dared invade this eery realm, 

 this night-spread, tide-crept, balf-sealand where 

 he was king? How like a goblin he seemed ! I 

 thought of Grendel, and listened for the splash 

 of the fen-monster's steps along the edge of the 

 bay. But only, the owl came. Down, down, 

 [74] 



