The stillness, the balm, the soothing influences of the night worked their own spell; and, after a time, rubbed out the mental wrinkles and brought a sense of restfulness and peace.

It could not well do otherwise with such a nature as his.

The night was all a-musk with mignonette and roses, the sky all a-glitter with stars.

A gunshot distant the river ran--a silver thing ribboning along between the dark of bending trees; somewhere in the darkness a nightingale shook out the scale of Nature's Anthem to the listening Night, and, farther afield, others took up the chorus of it and sang and sang with the sheer joy of living.
What a world--God, what a world for parricides to exist in, and for the sons of men to forget the Fifth Commandment! He walked on faster, and made his way to the arbour where Dollops waited.

The boy rose to meet him.
"Everythink all ready, sir--see!" he said, holding up a kit bag.