第52章

Whistlingfromoffthesea，thewindwaschargedwithmoist，saltspray，anddashingfoamingbillowsashorewiththeirwhitemanesfullofsnakelike，gleamingblackribandsofseaweed，andcausingtherockstorumbleangrilyinresponse，andthetreestorustlewithadry，agitatedsoundastheirtopsswayedtoandfro，andtheirtrunksbentearthwardsasthoughtheywouldfainreeveuptheirroots，andbetakethemwhitherthemountainsstoodveiledinatogaofheavy，darkmist。

Overtheseathecloudswerehurryingtowardsthelandaseverandanontheyrentthemselvesintostrips，andrevealedfathomlessabyssesofbluewhereintheautumnsunburneduneasily，andsentcloud-shadowsglidingoverthepuckeredwasteofwaters，until，theshorereached，thewindfurtherharriedthemassesofvapourtowardsthesharpflanksofthemountains，and，afterdrawingthemupanddowntheslopes，relegatedthemtoclefts，andleftthemsteamingthere。

Therewasaboutthewholescenealouringappearance，anappearanceasthougheverythingwerecontendingwitheverything，asnowallthingsturnedsullenlydark，andnowallthingsemittedadullsheenwhichalmostblindedtheeyes。Alongthenarrowroad，aroadprotectedfromtheseabyalineofwave-

washeddykes，somewitheredleavesofoakandwildcherrywerescuddinginmutualchaseofoneanother；withthegeneralresultthatthecombinedsoundsofsplashingandrustlingandhowlingcametomergethemselvesintoasingledinwhichissuedasasongwitharhythmmarkedbythemeasuredblowsofthewavesastheystrucktherocks。

“Zmiulan，theKingoftheOcean，isabroad！“shoutedmyfellowtravellerinmyear。Hewasatall，round-shoulderedmanofchildishlychubbyfeaturesandboyishlybright，transparenteyes。

“WHOdoyousayisabroad？“Iqueried。

“KingZmiulan。“

Neverhavingheardofthemonarch，Imadenoreply。

Theextenttowhichthewindbuffetedusmighthaveledonetosupposethatitsprimaryobjectivewastodeflectoursteps，andturntheminthedirectionofthemountains。Indeed，attimesitspressurewassostrongthatwehadnochoicebuttohalt，toturnourbackstothesea，and，withfeetplantedapart，topriseourselvesagainstoursticks，andsoremain，poisedonthreelegs，untilwewerepastanyriskofbeingoverwhelmedwiththesoftincubusofthetempest，andhavingourcoatstornfromourshoulders。

Atintervalssuchgaspswouldcomefrommycompanionthathemightwellhavebeenstandingonthedrying-boardofabath。Nor，astheydidso，washisappearanceaughtbutcomical，seeingthathisears，appendageslargeandshaggylikeadog’s，andindifferentlyshieldedwithashabbyoldcap，keptbeingpushedforwardbythewinduntilhissmallheadboreanabsurdresemblancetoachinabowl。Andthat，tocompletetheresemblance，hislongandmassivenose，afeaturegrosslydisproportionatetotherestofhisdiminutiveface，mightequallywellhavepassedforthespoutofthereceptacleindicated。

Yetafaceoutofthecommonitwas，likethewholeofhispersonality。AndthiswasthefactwhichhadcaptivatedmefromthemomentwhenIhadbeheldhimpartici

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