Then all assembled fell on their knees. The music gave out sharp
plaintive notes which were answered by the voices of men and women in
short, wailing, as it were inquiring, rhythm; this continued till the
sun was on the point of disappearance, when music and voices together
burst into a sad chant, seemingly of farewell; the kneeling people
extending their hands seaward with an appealing gesture. One figure only
was erect; on the projecting boulder, which is still so conspicuous a
feature of the Rocque du Guet, stood the sorceress, her arms also
outstretched, her figure, firm, erect, sharply outlined, such as
Turner's mind conceived when he sketched the Last Man.
Father Austin contemplated the scene from a distance. By his side was
his favourite convert, Jean Letocq.
"Strange!" he said, placing his hand on his companion's shoulder. "Your
race are not sun-worshippers. Never, except on this day of the year, do
they show this feeling; but who that saw them to-day would doubt that
they are so! Is it that from old times their intense love of nature has
led them to show in this way their sadness at its decay? or do they by
mourning over the close of the sun's longest day symbolize their
recognition of the inevitable end of the longest life of man? I cannot
tell.
Pages:
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35