Part 5 The Second Wedding Chapter 5

The tenth of September came. How swiftly the days flew by!

　　One morning, a true autumn morning, with cold mist falling over theearth, in the rising sun, she sat under the porch of the chapel of theshipwrecked mariners, where the widows go to pray, with eyes fixed andglassy, throbbing temples tightened as by an iron hand.

　　These sad morning mists had begun two days before, and on thisparticular day Gaud had awakened with a still more bitter uneasiness,caused by the forecast of advancing winter. Why did this day, thishour, this very moment, seem to her more painful than the preceding?

　　Often ships are delayed a fortnight, even a month, for that matter.

　　But surely there was something different about this particularmorning, for she had come to-day for the first time to sit in theporch of this chapel and read the names of the dead sailors, perishedin their prime.

　　"In memory ofGAOS, YVON,Lost at seaNear the Norden-Fjord."Like a great shudder, a gust of wind rose from the sea, and at thesame time something fell like rain upon the roof above. It was onlythe dead leaves though; many were blown in at the porch; the old wind-tossed trees of the graveyard were losing their foliage in this risinggale, and winter was marching nearer.

　　"Lost at sea,Near the Norden-Fjord,In the storm of the 4th and 5th of August, 1880."She read mechanically under the arch of the doorway; her eyes soughtto pierce the distance over the sea. That morning it was untraceableunder the gray mist, and a dragging drapery of clouds overhung thehorizon like a mourning veil.

　　Another gust of wind, and other leaves danced in in whirls. A strongergust still, as if the western storm that had strewn those dead overthe sea, wished to deface the very inscriptions that remembered theirnames to the living.

　　Gaud looked with involuntary persistency at an empty space upon thewall that seemed to yawn expectant. By a terrible impression she waspursued, the thought of a fresh slab which might soon, perhaps, beplaced there, with another name which she did not even dare to thinkof in such a spot.

　　She felt cold, and remained seated on the granite bench, her headreclining against the stone wall.

　　* * * * * * * * * * *. . . . . . . "near the Norden-Fjord,In the storm of the 4th and 5th of August,At the age of 23 years,/Requiescat in pace/!"Then Iceland loomed up before her, with its little cemetery lighted upfrom below the sea-line by the midnight sun. Suddenly in the sameempty space on the wall, with horrifying clearness she saw the freshslab she was thinking of; a clear white one, with a skull and cross-bones, and in a flash of foresight, a name--the worshipped name of"Yann Gaos!" Then she suddenly and fearfully drew herself up straightand stiff, with a hoarse, wild cry in her throat like a mad creature.

　　Outside the gray mist of the dawn fell over the land, and the deadleaves were again blown dancingly into the porch.

　　Steps on the footpath? Somebody was coming? She rose and quicklysmoothed down her cap and composed her face. Nearer drew the steps.

　　She assumed the air of one who might be there by chance; for, aboveall, she did not wish to appear yet, like the widow of a shipwreckedmariner.

　　It happened to be Fante Floury, the wife of the second mate of the/Leopoldine/. She understood immediately what Gaud was doing there; itwas useless to dissemble with her. At first each woman stoodspeechless before the other. They were angry and almost hated eachother for having met with a like sentiment of apprehension.

　　"All the men of Treguier and Saint Brieuc have been back this week,"said Fante at last, in a pitiless, muffled, half-irritated voice.

　　She carried a blessed taper in her hand, to offer up a prayer. Gauddid not wish yet to resort to that extreme resource of despairingwives. Yet silently she entered the chapel behind Fante, and theyknelt down together side by side, like two sisters.

　　To the "Star of the Sea" they offered ardent imploring prayers, withtheir whole soul in them. A sound of sobbing was alone heard, as theirrapid tears swiftly fell upon the floor. They rose together, moreconfident and softened. Fante held up Gaud, who staggered, and takingher in her arms, kissed her.

　　Wiping their eyes, and smoothing their dishevelled hair, they brushedoff the salt dust from the flagstones, soiling their gowns, and theywent away in opposite directions, without another word.