See how sharp the green is under the gray,
and note the clearness of the air. Everything is keen and hard upon the eye
to-day; the sky is full of rain and the sea is a wild harmony in gray and
silver."
"Iss, the cleeves be callin' this marnin'. 'Tis a sort o' whisper as comes
to a body's ear, an' it means that the high hills knaws the rain is nigh.
An' they tell it wan to t'other, and moans it mournful over the valleys
'pon the wind. 'The storm be comin', the storm be comin',' they sez."
The south and west regions of distance blackened as they sat there on the
cliff, and upon the sea separate heavy gusts of wind roughened up the
hollows of the waves. Which effect seen from afar flickered weirdly like a
sort of submarine lightning shivering white through dark water. Presently a
cloud broke, showing a bank of paler gray behind, and misty silver arrows
fell in broad bands of light upon the sea. They sped round, each upon the
last, like the spokes of a gigantic wheel trundling over the world; then
the clouds huddled together again and the gleam of brightness died.
"You'm wisht this marnin', Mister Jan. You abbun so much as two words for
me. 'Tis 'cause you caan't paint your picksher, I reckon."
He sighed and took her hand in his.
"Don't think that, my Joan. Once I cared nothing for you, everything for my
picture; now I care nothing for my picture, everything for you.
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