Now, Ruby was but nineteen, and had seen plenty of wrecks, whereas these banns were to her an event of singular interest, for weeks anticipated with small thrills.  Therefore, as the people passed her by, she felt suddenly out of tune with them, especially with Zeb, who, at least, might have understood her better.  Some angry tears gathered in her eyes at the callous indifference of her father, who just now was revolving in the porch like a weathercock, and shouting orders east, west, north, and south for axes, hammers, ladders, cart-ropes, in case the vessel struck within reach.

“You, Jim Lewarne, run to the mowhay, hot-foot, an’ lend a hand wi’ the datchin’ ladder, an’—­hi! stop!—­fetch along my second-best glass, under the Dook o’ Cumberland’s picter i’ the parlour, ‘longside o’ last year’s neck; an’-hi! cuss the chap—­he’s gone like a Torpointer!  Ruby, my dear, step along an’ show en—­Why, hello!—­”

Ruby, with head down, and scarlet cloak blown out horizontally, was already fighting her way out along the headland to a point where Zeb stood, a little apart from the rest, with both palms shielding his eyes.

“Zeb!”

She had to stand on tip-toe and bawl this into his ear.  He faced round with a start, nodded as if pleased, and bent his gaze on the Channel again.

Ruby looked too.  Just below, under veils of driving spray, the seas were thundering past the headland into Ruan Cove.  She could not see them break, only their backs swelling and sinking, and the puffs of foam that shot up like white smoke at her feet and drenched her gown.  Beyond, the sea, the sky, and the irregular coast with its fringe of surf melted into one uniform grey, with just the summit of Bradden Point, two miles away, standing out above the wrack.  Of the vessel there was, as yet, no sign.

In Ruby’s present mood the bitter blast was chiefly blameworthy for gnawing at her face, and the spray for spoiling her bonnet and taking her hair out of curl.  She stamped her foot and screamed again—­

“Zeb!”

“What is’t, my dear?” he bawled back in her ear, kissing her wet cheek in a preoccupied manner.

She was about to ask him what this wreck amounted to, that she should for the moment sink to nothing in comparison with it.  But, at this instant, a small group of men and women joined them, and, catching sight of the faces of Sarah Ann Nanjulian and Modesty Prowse, her friends, she tried another tack—­

“Well, Zeb, no doubt ’twas disappointing for you; but don’t ’ee take on so.  Think how much harder ‘tis for the poor souls i’ that ship.”

This astute sentence, however, missed fire completely.  Zeb answered it with a point-blank stare of bewilderment.  The others took no notice of it whatever.

“Hav’ee seen her, Zeb?” called out his father.

“No.”

“Nor I nuther.  ’Reckon ’tis all over a’ready.  I’ve a-heard afore now,” he went on, turning his back to the wind the better to wink at the company, “that ’tis lucky for some folks Gauger Hocken hain’t extra spry ’pon his pins.  But ’tis a gift that cuts both ways.  Be any gone round by Cove Head to look out?”