he added sententiously, "the world is bigger than Mersea. It is nothing to be away for twelve or fourteen hours. Lads take no account of time, they do not walue it any more than they walue good looks. We older folks do; we hold to that which is slipping from us. When we was children, we thought we could deal with time as with the sprats. We draw in all and throw what we can't consume away. At last we find we have spoiled our fishing, and we must use larger meshes in our net. I will tell you another thing. Mistress," continued the host, who delighted to moralise, "time is like a clock, when young it goes slow, and when old it gallops. When you and I was little, we thought a day as long as now we find a year. As we grew older years went faster; and the older we wax the greater the speed with which time spins by; till at last it passes with a whisk and a flash, and that is eternity."
"He cannot be drowned," said Mrs. De Witt. "That would be too ridiculous."
"It would, just about." After a moment's consideration Isaac added, "I heard that Elijah Rebow was on the Hard last night, maybe your George is gone off with him."
"Not likely, Isaac. I and Elijah are not on good terms. My father left me nothing. Elijah took all after his parents, and I did not get a penny."
"You know we have war with foreigners," observed the publican. "Now I observe that everything in this world goes by contraries. When there's peace abroad, there is strife at home, and vice versa. There was a man-of-war in the bay yesterday. I should not wonder if that put it into George's head to be a man-of-peace on land. When you want to estimate a person's opinions, first ask what other folks are saying round him, and take the clean contrary, and you hit the bull's-eye. If you see anything like to draw a man in one direction, look the opposite way, and you will find him. There was pretty strong intimation of war yesterday with the foreigners, then you may be dead certain he took a peaceful turn in his perwerse vein, and went to patch up old quarrels with Elijah."
"It is possible," said Mrs. De Witt. "I will row to Red Hall and find out."
"Have another glass before you go," said the landlord.
