I was determined somehow to break the
barrier,regardless of the issue. He had a difficultjourney in the broad daylight by
way of the graveyard.
What was about to be done was Kynæthos own
affair,and no stranger could meddle with it and live. My prayer was to bedelivered
from the idolatry of the heathen. I wish to Heaven that I had the gift of words. My
lethargy hadgone, and I woke to a violent, anxious energy. Iam not much of a pistol
shot, but Janni, as I knew from Maris, wasan expert.
Presently I was outon the downs, with the yellow
levels of the Dancing Floor below meon the right. The victims were hallowed with
water from the well by the whitecypress.
I thought with scorn of my self-confidence. He
brought me a coat and an ancientfelt hat, and made signs that I should put them
on.
Janni, of course, was no swimmer, and besides,
theresponsibility was on me. On the jettythere were guards, and there were posts
along the causeway. An unhallowed epiphany was looked for, but first mustcome the
sacrifice. He mightwell be, judging from Black Georges reverence for the
wordEnglish. I signed to Janni, and we started crawling back towards the
cliffs.
I ran the mile myself at school and college, and
know somethingabout pace. But first I stripped and had a bathe, whichdid something
to cool the fret of my nerves.
Everybody, except the guards round the House,
seemed to be huddlingin the village street.
After about an hours fruitless talk I gave it
up.
Janni was no cragsman, and in any case his one arm
made himuseless.
It took me a little time to pull myself
together.
Ihad a sudden sense of things being predestined, of
the ironicalfore-ordination of life.
We werecelebrating, but there were no
votaries.
He knelt at a respectfuldistance from the bier, and
began to mutter prayers. The man had suddenly become enlarged andennobled. Suddenly
Janni by my side grunted and pointed to the middle of thelittle bay.