So melted the sweet
night away.
"Now carmine streaks tinged the eastern sky at the water's edge,
and that water blushed; now the streaks turned orange, and the
waves below them sparkled. Thence splashes of living gold flew and
settled on the ship's white sails, the deck, and the faces; and,
with no more prologue, being so near the line, up came
majestically a huge, fiery, golden sun, and set the sea flaming
liquid topaz.
"Instant the lookout at the foretop-gallant-mast-head hailed the
deck below.
"'Strange sail! Right ahead!'
* * * * *
"Ah! the stranger's deck swarms black with men!
"His sham ports fell as if by magic, his guns grinned through the
gaps like black teeth; his huge foresail rose and filled, and out
he came in chase.
"The breeze was a kiss from Heaven, the sky a vaulted sapphire,
the sea a million dimples of liquid, lucid gold."
In conclusion, we must pronounce Mr. Reade's merit, in our judgment, to
belong not so much to what he has already done as to what, if life be
allowed him, he is yet to do.
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