Children of the Mist

Children of the Mist

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Children of the Mist, by Eden Phillpotts This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Children of the Mist
Author: Eden Phillpotts
Release Date: December 30, 2004 [EBook #14527]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHILDREN OF THE MIST ***

Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Robert Ledger and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

CHILDREN OF THE MIST
BY
EDEN PHILLPOTTS
Author of "Down Dartmoor Way," "Some Everyday Folks," "My Laughing Philosopher," "Lying Prophets," etc.
1898

BOOK I--THE BOY'S ROMANCE
I THE PIXIES' PARLOUR II A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING III EXIT WILL IV BY THE RIVER V THE INCIDENT OF MR. JOEL FORD VI AN UNHAPPY POET VII LIBATION TO POMONA VIII A BROTHERS' QUARREL IX OUTSIDE EXETER GAOL X THE BRINGING OF THE NEWS XI LOVE AND GREY GRANITE XII A STORY-BOOK XIII THE MILLER'S OFFER XIV LOGIC
BOOK II--THE ENTERPRISE
I SPRINGTIME II NEWTAKE FARM III OVER A RIDING-WHIP IV DEFEATED HOPES V THE ZEAL OF SAM BONUS VI A SWARM OF BEES VII AN OFFER OF MARRIAGE VIII MR. BLEE FORGETS HIMSELF IX A DIFFERENCE WITH THE DUCHY X CONNECTING LINKS XI TOGETHER XII THROUGH ONE GREAT DAY XIII THE WILL XIV A HUNDRED POUNDS XV "THE ANGEL OF THE DARKER DRINK" XVI BEFORE THE DAWN XVII MISSING
BOOK III--HIS GRANITE CROSS
I BABY II THE KNIGHT OF FORLORN HOPES III CONCERNING THE GATE-POST IV MARTIN'S RAID V WINTER VI THE CROSS UPREARED VII GREY TWILIGHT
BOOK IV--HIS SECRET
I A WANDERER RETURNS II HOPE RENEWED III ANSWERED IV THE END OF THE FIGHT V TWO MIGHTY SURPRISES VI THE SECRET OUT VII SMALL TIMOTHY VIII FLIGHT IX UNDER COSDON BEACON X BAD NEWS FOR BLANCHARD XI PHOEBE TAKES THOUGHT XII NEW YEAR'S EVE AND NEW YEAR'S DAY XIII MR. LYDDON'S TACTICS XIV ACTION XV A BATTLE XVI A PAIR OF HANDCUFFS XVII SUSPENSE XVIII THE NIGHT OF JUBILEE

CHILDREN OF THE MIST
BOOK I
THE BOY'S ROMANCE

CHAPTER I
THE PIXIES' PARLOUR
Phoebe Lyddon frowned, and, as an instant protest, twin dimples peeped into life at the left corner of her bonny mouth. In regarding that attractive ripple the down-drawn eyebrows were forgotten until they rose again into their natural arches. A sweet, childish contour of face chimed with her expression; her full lips were bright as the bunch of ripe wood-strawberries at the breast of her cotton gown; her eyes as grey as Dartmoor mists; while, for the rest, a little round chin, a small, straight nose, and a high forehead, which Phoebe mourned and kept carefully concealed under masses of curly brown hair, were the sole features to be specially noted about her. She was a trifle below the standard of height proper to a girl of nineteen, but all compact, of soft, rounded lines, plump, fresh of colour, healthy, happy, sweet as a ripe apple.
From a position upon swelling hillsides above the valley of a river, she scanned the scene beneath, made small her eyes to focus the distance, and so pursued a survey of meadow and woodland, yet without seeing what she sought. Beneath and beyond, separated from her standpoint by grasslands and a hedge of hazel, tangled thickets of blackthorn, of bracken, and of briar sank to the valley bottom. Therein wound tinkling Teign through the gorges of Fingle to the sea; and above it, where the land climbed upward on the other side, spread the Park of Whiddou, with expanses of sweet, stone-scattered herbage, with tracts of deep fern, coverts of oak, and occasional habitations for the deer.
This spectacle, through a grey veil of fine rain, Phoebe noted at mid-afternoon of a day in early August; and, as she watched, there widened a rift under the sun's hidden throne, and a mighty, fan-shaped pencil of brightness straggled downwards, proceeded in solemn sweep across the valley, and lighted the depths of the gorge beyond with a radiance of misty silver. The music of jackdaws welcomed this first indication of improved weather; then Phoebe's sharp eyes beheld a phenomenon afar off through the momentary cessation of the rain. Three parts of a mile away, on a distant hillside, like the successive discharges of a dozen fowling-pieces, little blotches of smoke or mist suddenly appeared. Rapidly they followed each other, and sometimes the puffs of vapour were exploded together, sometimes separately. For a moment the girl felt puzzled; then she comprehended and laughed.
"'Tis the silly auld sheep!" she said to herself. "They 'm shakin 'theer fleeces 'cause they knaw the rain's over-past. Bellwether did begin, I warrant, then all the rest done the same."
Each remote member of the flock thus freed its coat from the accumulated moisture of a long