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One afternoon, after a long vigil in which, unaccountably, Julia had not

appeared, he started to return to caht and a

black, velvety one The trees against a darkening curtain of sky had

turned to bunches of tangled shadow, the reefs and rocks against the

papery white of the sand to smutches and blobs of soot Suddenly - and

his heart pounded at the sound - the air began to vibrate and thrill

He stopped short He waited His breath ca closer

He crystallized where he stood It scarcely see white and nebulous ca out of the dusk towards him

It became a silver cloud, a white sculptured spirit of the air It

becael, a fairy, a woman - Julia She flew not far off, level

with his eyes and, as she approached, she slowed her stately flight

Billy made no movement He only stood and waited and watched But

perhaps never before in his life had his eyes become so transparently

the s of his soul Quite as intently, Julia's eyes, big, gray, and

dark-lashed, considered him It seeinally young such a tragic seriousness, nor in any

eyes, superficially so calm, such a troubled wonder

He did not stir until she had drifted out of earshot, had beco into the dusk, had ed with that dusk

"Whathim keenly when