The String of Pearls (1850), p. 682

"Couldn't do it," said the old man.
"Certainly not," said the young one.
Todd felt mortified that his plan of getting to Gravesend, by the aid of the boat, was thus put an end to; but he could not help feeling how very impolitic it would be to show any amount of chagrin upon such a subject, so he spoke as cheerfully as he could, merely saying—
"Well, of course, I don't want you to do it; I merely offer you the job, as I am so fond of a little boating, that I would not mind a few guineas more upon such an account."
"No use trying it," said the old man, sententiously. "There's several turns in the river, and we should be down one at this time before we could get there. Gravesend is quite another thing."
"So it is," said Todd.
He felt perfectly certain by the tone and the manner of the old man, that it would be of no use urging the matter any further; and the great dread he had of exciting suspicion that he was a fugitive, had the effect of making him as cautious as possible regarding what he said. In stern and moody silence, then, he reclined in the stern of the boat, while it cleaved through the black water; and, as the old boatman prophesied, the wind each moment went down until it left nothing but a freshness upon the surface of the water, which, although it was bitterly cold, in no way effected the progress of the boat.
But a slight rain now began to fall, and every moment the night got darker and darker still, until the lights upon the banks of the river looked like little stars afar off; and it was only when they got quite close to it, that they became aware of the proximity of Blackfriars Bridge. It was Todd that saw it first appearing like some gigantic object rising up out of the water to destroy them.
He could not resist uttering an exclamation of terror, and then he added—
"What is it?" Oh, what is it?"
"What—what?" said the young waterman, shipping his oars and looking rather terrified.
The old man gave his head a slight jerk as he said—
"I fancy it's Blackfriars."
"Oh, yes, yes/' said Todd, with a feeling of great relief. It's the bridge, of course—it is the bridge; but in the darkness of the night, it looked awful and strange; and as we approached it, it had all the effect as if it were something big enough to crush the world rising up out of the water."
"Ay—ay," said the old man. "I have seen it on all sorts of nights, and was looking out for it. It's all right. Easy with your larboard over there. That
will do—there we go."
The boat shot under one of the arches of the old bridge, and for a moment, the effect was like going into some deep and horrible cavern, the lower part of which was a sea of ink.
Todd shuddered, but he did not say anything. He thought that after his affected raptures at sailing, that if he made any sort of remark indicative of his terrors at the passage of the bridge, they would sound rather inconsistent.
It was quite a relief when they had shot through the dim and dusky arch, and emerged again upon the broad open water; and owing to the terrible darkness that was beneath that arch, the night upon the river, after they had passed through it, did not seem to be nearly so black as it had been before, thus showing that, after all, most of our sensations are those of comparison, even including those dependant upon the physical changes of nature.
"This is cheering," said Todd. "It is lighter now upon the river. Don't you think it is?"
"Why," said the old man, "perhaps it is just a cloud or two lighter; but it's after coming through the arch that it makes the principal difference, I take it."
"Yes," said the other, "that's it; and the rain, to my thinking, will be a

f

682 T HE STRING OF PEARLS,

" Couldn't do it," said the old man.
" Certainly not," said the young one.

Todd felt mortified that his plan of getting to Gravesend, by the aid of the
boat, was thus put an end to ; but he could not help feeling how very impolitic
it would be to show any amount of chagrin upon such a subject, so he spoke as
cheerfully as he could, merely saying— ^ j

" Well, of course, 1 don't want you to do it ; I merely offer you the job, as I
am so fond of a little boating, that I would not mind a few guineas more upon
such an account."

H No use trying it," said the old man, sententiously. "There's several turns
in the river, and we should be down one at this time before we could get there.
Gravesend is quite another thing."

"So it is," said Todd.

He felt perfectly certain by the tone and the manner of the old man, that it
would be of no uee urging the matter any further ; and the great dread he had
of exciting suspicion that he was a fugitive, had the effect of making him as
cautious as possible regarding what he said. In stern and moody silence, then,
he reclined in the stern of the boat, while it cleaved through the black water ;
and, as the old boatman prophesied, the wind each moment went down until it
left nothing but a freshness upon the surface of the water, which, although it
was bitterly cold, in no way effected the progress of the boat.

But a slight rain now began to fall, and every moment the night got darker
and darker still, until the lights upon the banks of the river looked like little
stars afar off ; and it was only when they got quite close to it, that they became
aware of the proximity of Blackfnars Bridge. It was Todd that saw it first
appearing like some gigantic object rising up out o? the water to destroy them.
He could not resist uttering an exclamation of terror, and then he added — *

" What is it ?* Oh, what is it ?"

" What — what ff said the young waterman, shipping his oars and looking
rather terrified.

The old man gave his head a slight jerk as he said —

$< I fancy it's Blackfriars."
, " Oh, yes, yes/' said Todd, with a feeling of great [relief. u It's the bridge,
of course— it s the bridge ; but in the darkness of the night, it looked awful and
strange ; and as we approached it, it had all the effect as if it were something
big enough to crush the world rising up out of the water.

M Ay — ay," saidtheold man. "I have seen it on all sorts of nights, and was
looking out for it. Its all right. Easy with your larboard over there. That
will do — there we go."

The boat shot under one of the arches of the old bridge, and for a moment,
the effect was like going into some deep and horrible cavern, the lower part of
which was a sea of ink.

Todd shuddered, but he did not say anything. He thought that after his
affected raptures at sailing, that if he made any sort of remark indicative of his
terrors at the passage of the bridge, they would sound rather inconsistent.

It was quite a relief when they had shot through the dim and dusky arch,
and emerged again upon the broad open water ; and owing to the terrible dark-
ness that was beneath that arch, the night upon the river, after they had passed
through it, did not seem to be nearly so black as it had been before, thus
showing that, after all, most of our sensations are those of comparison, even
including those dependant upon the physical changes of nature.

" This is cheering," said Todd. It is lighter now upon the river. Don't
you think it is ?"

" Why/' said the old man, « perhaps it is just a cloud or two lighter ; but
it's after coming through the arch that it makes the principal difference, 1
take W*

" Yes," said the other, "that's it; and the rain, to my thinking, will be a