Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887. Excerpt:... CHAPTER XX. BLIND PASSION AND PAIN. Dan moved uneasily, and presently awoke, opened his eyes, and saw Ewan, and betrayed no surprise at his presence there. 'Ah! Is it you, Ewan?' he said, speaking quietly, partly in a shamefaced way, and with some confusion. 'Do you know, I've been dreaming of you--you and Mona?' Ewan gave no answer. Because sleep is a holy thing, and the brother of death, whose shadow also it is, therefore Ewan's hideous purpose had left him while Dan lay asleep at his feet; but now that Dan was awake, the evil passion came again. 'I was dreaming of that Mother Carey's chicken--you remember it? when we were lumps of lads, you know--why, you can't have forgotten it--the old thing I caught in its nest just under the Head?' Still Ewan gave no sign, but looked down at Dan resting on his elbows. Dan's eyes fell from Ewan's face, but he went on in a confused way. 'Mona couldn't bear to see it caged, and would have me put it back. Don't you remember I clambered up to the nest, and put the bird in again? You were down on the shore, thinking sure I would tumble over the Head, and Mona--Mona' Dan glanced afresh into Ewan's face, and its look of terror seemed to stupefy him; still he made shift to go on with his dream in an abashed sort of way. 'My gough! if I didn't dream it all as fresh as fresh, and the fight in the air, and the screams when I put the old bird in the nest--the young ones had forgotten it clean, and they tumbled it out, and set on it terrible, and drove it away--and then the poor old thing on the rocks sitting by itself as lonesome as lonesome--and little Mona crying and crying down below, and her long hair rip-rip-rippling in the wind, and--and' Dan had got to his feet, and then seated himself on a stool as he rambled on with th...