534 PRÆTERITA-III

better than most other scholars. But Gordon’s warning came fatally true. I lost at least half of the precious years between 1860 and 1870 in gaining this scholarship, wholly useless in argument with modern writers formed in the French and American schools, and taking the place in my own life and time which ought to have been given to finish my well begun work in geology, or begin earlier that which I must leave merely hinted in Love’s Meinie.

If only I were back once again in the bright little room at Boulogne-with a Rosie letter on the table-and for all other companionship, a shrimp or a limpet in a bucket-she herself taught me to catch crawfish in the Liffey-what a history of streams and woods we could have written together!

I did learn more at Boulogne, however, of shrimps and limpets than one can find in books; and of waves, at least the look of them from the deck of a Boulogne lugger. For one day, as I was watching the mackerel boats come in, the captain of one which had moored alongside the pier came up the wooden ladder steps close beside me. I liked the intelligent and kindly face, and after watching the play of it a while, in his talk with the people he met, asked him if he would take me out with him to see some mackerel fishing. After a little debate, he consented, and from that time forward, took me out with him in the bright mornings, and brought me in with the next tide, sometimes in open sea leaving me at the tiller even in a brisk breeze; but he would never let me bring the boat into harbour. The prettiest piece of sailing I saw was one intensely warm night with high wind, the whole sea phosphorescent in its foam, the boat running gunwale under, and currents of blue fire floating continually over the lower side of the deck. For the rest, in sunny mornings, I saw beautiful things in the colours of the fresh caught fish, but could not reconcile it with my Utopian principles of Creation that any should have poisonous spines in their fins, and still less with my Utopian principles of society that my good and thoughtful sailing master should only be a Boulogne pilot.

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