As Lilian looked upon this
dazzling picture, backed by the golden and rosy sky, the golden and
rosy waters, the palm-plumes tossing in the purpling distance, the
silver flashing of the oars, the quiver came again, and she gave the
glass to Reyburn, who held it steadily till the boat was within
hailing distance, and who himself at last handed the shining creature
on board and led her to Lilian and her mother. And then the Beachbird
slowly spread her wings, and with her new burden softly floated away
into the dusk, and the great colors faded, and the stars one after
another seemed to drop low and hang from the heavens like lamps, and
rich odors floated off from the receding land, and they moved along
folded in the dark splendor of the tropical night. But in some vague
way every soul on board the little yacht felt the presence of another
influence, and that, though they sailed in the same waters as
yesterday, it was in another atmosphere; for an element had come among
them that should produce a transformation as powerful as though it
wrought a chemic change of their atoms.
Lilian and Reyburn still paced the deck, after their custom, when the
first greetings were over, leaving Helen and her father with John for
the present. But as the conversation dropped more personal subjects,
and John and his father were discussing political matters, Helen began
to look about, and chiefly she surveyed Lilian.
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