When I reached the church, not a little out of breath, I listened first on the side nearest the village, that is the north side; putting my ear against the wall, and afterwards lying down on the ground, though the grass was long and wet, so that I might the better catch any sound that came.  But I could hear nothing, and so concluded that the Mohunes had come to rest again, yet thought I would walk round the church and listen too on the south or sea side, for that their worships might have drifted over to that side, and be there rubbing shoulders with one another.  So I went round, and was glad to get out of the cold shade into the sun on the south.  But here was a surprise; for when I came round a great buttress which juts out from the wall, what should I see but two men, and these two were Ratsey and Elzevir Block.  I came upon them unawares, and, lo and behold, there was Master Ratsey lying also on the ground with his ear to the wall, while Elzevir sat back against the inside of the buttress with a spy-glass in his hand, smoking and looking out to sea.

Now, I had as much right to be in the churchyard as Ratsey or Elzevir, and yet I felt a sudden shame as if I had been caught in some bad act, and knew the blood was running to my cheeks.  At first I had it in my mind to turn tail and make off, but concluded to stand my ground since they had seen me, and so bade them ‘Good morning’.  Master Ratsey jumped to his feet as nimbly as a cat; and if he had not been a man, I should have thought he was blushing too, for his face was very red, though that came perhaps from lying on the ground.  I could see he was a little put about, and out of countenance, though he tried to say ‘Good morning, John’, in an easy tone, as if it was a common thing for him to be lying in the churchyard, with his ear to the wall, on a winter’s morning.  ’Good morning, John,’ he said; ’and what might you be doing in the churchyard this fine day?’

I answered that I was come to listen if the Mohunes were still moving.

‘Well, that I can’t tell you,’ returned Ratsey, ’not wishing to waste thought on such idle matters, and having to examine this wall whether the floods have not so damaged it as to need under-pinning; so if you have time to gad about of a morning, get you back to my workshop and fetch me a plasterer’s hammer which I have left behind, so that I can try this mortar.’

I knew that he was making excuses about underpinning, for the wall was sound as a rock, but was glad enough to take him at his word and beat a retreat from where I was not wanted.  Indeed, I soon saw how he was mocking me, for the men did not even wait for me to come back with the hammer, but I met them returning in the first meadow.  Master Ratsey made another excuse that he did not need the hammer now, as he had found out that all that was wanted was a little pointing with new mortar.  ’But if you have such time to waste, John,’ he added, ’you can come tomorrow and help me to get new thwarts in the Petrel, which she badly wants.’