should retire. Before the waters went, however, darkness came; and
either from fear of breaking bones in the descent or suspicion of some
fresh treachery in the mysterious sea, they clung to their perch,
blessing the mildness of a January night without wind or frost, but
blessing with still more fervency the lanterns of their rescuers. They
had passed five hours in this anxious situation.

This was the sportive prelude of more serious trouble. _Nunquam
imprudentibus imber incidit_: as the servant perhaps reflected, who, on
Monday, January 29th, was conveying the dinner of his master's family
from the Hotel kitchen to Cambrian Terrace. As he crossed the gusty
street between them, the harpies of the storm swept the dinner from dish,
and rolled a prime joint over and over in the dust. A leg of mutton was
following, but he caught it dexterously by the knuckle-end as it fell,
and rescued so much from the wreck. Such incidents are significant:
trifles light as air, no doubt, but at least they showed which way the
wind blew. And did it not blow? for three days the sou'-wester had been
heaping up the sea-water against the shores of Cardigan Bay. People
remembered with misgivings that an expected high tide coincided in time
with the gale, and shook their heads significantly as they went to bed on
the eve of January 30th.

In the half light before sunrise, the classes, emerging from the school-
room after morning prayers, found the street between them and the Terrace
threaded by a stream of salt water, which was pouring over the sea-wall
in momently increasing volume. Skirting or jumping the obstruction they
reached the class-rooms, and work began. But before morning school was
over the stream had become a river, and thrifty housewives were keeping
out the flood from their ground-floors by impromptu dams. Those who were
well placed saw a memorable sight that morn, as the terrible white