Moonfleet | Page 7

the women were for
flitting forthwith and climbing the down; but Master Ratsey, who was
going round with others to comfort people, soon showed us that the
upper part of the village stood so high, that if the water was to get
thither, there was no knowing if it would not cover Ridgedown itself.
But what with its being a spring-tide, and the sea breaking clean over
the great outer beach of pebbles--a thing that had not happened for fifty
years--there was so much water piled up in the lagoon, that it passed its
bounds and flooded all the sea meadows, and even the lower end of the
street. So when day broke, there was the churchyard flooded, though
'twas on rising ground, and the church itself standing up like a steep
little island, and the water over the door-sill of the Why Not?, though
Elzevir Block would not budge, saying he did not care if the sea swept
him away. It was but a nine-hours' wonder, for the wind fell very
suddenly; the water began to go back, the sun shone bright, and before
noon people came out to the doors to see the floods and talk over the
storm. Most said that never had been so fierce a wind, but some of the
oldest spoke of one in the second year of Queen Anne, and would have
it as bad or worse. But whether worse or not, this storm was a weighty
matter enough for me, and turned the course of my life, as you shall
hear.
I have said that the waters came up so high that the church stood out
like an island; but they went back quickly, and Mr. Glennie was able to
hold service on the next Sunday morning. Few enough folks came to
Moonfleet Church at any time; but fewer still came that morning, for
the meadows between the village and the churchyard were wet and
miry from the water. There were streamers of seaweed tangled about
the very tombstones, and against the outside of the churchyard wall was
piled up a great bank of it, from which came a salt rancid smell like a
guillemot's egg that is always in the air after a south-westerly gale has
strewn the shore with wrack.

This church is as large as any other I have seen, and divided into two
parts with a stone screen across the middle. Perhaps Moonfleet was
once a large place, and then likely enough there were people to fill such
a church, but never since I knew it did anyone worship in that part
called the nave. This western portion was quite empty beyond a few old
tombs and a Royal Arms of Queen Anne; the pavement too was damp
and mossy; and there were green patches down the white walls where
the rains had got in. So the handful of people that came to church were
glad enough to get the other side of the screen in the chancel, where at
least the pew floors were boarded over, and the panelling of oak-work
kept off the draughts.
Now this Sunday morning there were only three or four, I think, beside
Mr. Glennie and Ratsey and the half-dozen of us boys, who crossed the
swampy meadows strewn with drowned shrew-mice and moles. Even
my aunt was not at church, being prevented by a migraine, but a
surprise waited those who did go, for there in a pew by himself sat
Elzevir Block. The people stared at him as they came in, for no one had
ever known him go to church before; some saying in the village that he
was a Catholic, and others an infidel. However that may be, there he
was this day, wishing perhaps to show a favour to the parson who had
written the verses for David's headstone. He took no notice of anyone,
nor exchanged greetings with those that came in, as was the fashion in
Moonfleet Church, but kept his eyes fixed on a prayer-book which he
held in his hand, though he could not be following the minister, for he
never turned the leaf.
The church was so damp from the floods, that Master Ratsey had put a
fire in the brazier which stood at the back, but was not commonly
lighted till the winter had fairly begun. We boys sat as close to the
brazier as we could, for the wet cold struck up from the flags, and
besides that, we were so far from the clergyman, and so well screened
by the oak backs, that we could bake an apple or roast a chestnut
without much fear of being caught. But that morning there was
something else to take off our thoughts; for before the service was well
begun, we became aware