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VIII. The Keeper of the Light | Henry van Dyke | |
Section IV. |
Page 3 of 4 |
It was not a desperate vigil like that affair with the broken clockwork eight years before. There was no weary turning of the crank. There was just enough work to do about the house and the tower to keep them busy. The weather was fair. The worst thing was the short supply of food. But though they were hungry, they were not starving. And Nataline still played the fife. She jested, she sang, she told long fairy stories while they sat in the kitchen. Marcel admitted that it was not at all a bad arrangement. But his thoughts turned very often to the arrival of the supply- boat. He hoped it would not be late. The ice was well broken up already and driven far out into the gulf. The boat ought to be able to run down the shore in good time. One evening as Nataline came down from her sleep she saw Marcel coming up the rocks dragging a young seal behind him. "Hurra!" he shouted, "here is plenty of meat. I shot it out at the end of the island, about an hour ago." But Nataline said that they did not need the seal. There was still food enough in the larder. On shore there must be greater need. Marcel must take the seal over to the mainland that night and leave it on the beach near the priest's house. He grumbled a little, but he did it. |
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The Ruling Passion Henry van Dyke |
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