And yet," he added in a low voice, "I almost wish myself I had done it." Before dark those two young men had worked themselves up into a highly complex psychological state of scornful scepticism and alarmed credulity.
It tormented them exceedingly; and the thought that it would have to last for six days at least, and possibly be prolonged further for an indefinite time, was not to be borne.

The ship was therefore put on the inshore tack at dark.

All through the gusty dark night she went towards the land to look for her man, at times lying over in the heavy puffs, at others rolling idle in the swell, nearly stationary, as if she too had a mind of her own to swing perplexed between cool reason and warm impulse.
Then just at daybreak a boat put off from her and went on tossed by the seas towards the shallow cove where, with considerable difficulty, an officer in a thick coat and a round hat managed to land on a strip of shingle.
"It was my wish," writes Mr.Byrne, "a wish of which my captain approved, to land secretly if possible.

I did not want to be seen either by my aggrieved friend in the yellow hat, whose motives were not clear, or by the one-eyed wine-seller, who may or may not have been affiliated to the devil, or indeed by any other dweller in that primitive village.

But unfortunately the cove was the only possible landing place for miles; and from the steepness of the ravine I couldn't make a circuit to avoid the houses." "Fortunately," he goes on, "all the people were yet in their beds.