The eminence on which young fair-haired Harry stood was the site of a strong castle, built long ago by Hæsten, the Danish rover, in which he stowed away Saxon spoil and Saxon prisoners, till King Alfred came down upon him, pulled down the rover’s fortress, seized his wife and his two sons, and relieved the neighbourhood of this Danish scourge. How often, indeed, had the peaceful inhabitants trembled at the sight of the sea robber’s narrow war-vessels creeping up the creek in search of plunder! Harry, however, was not thinking of those ancient days; his whole soul and mind was in the present, in vague longings for action; full, too, of young inquisitiveness as to the future, especially his own future, so that he forgot why he had come to this spot, and did not even hear the approach of the Rev. Mr. Aylett, who, having been listening to a tale of distress from one of his parishioners at the end of the evening service, had now come to enjoy the view from Hæsten’s hill. As he walked slowly towards the immovable form of the boy, he could not help being struck by the lad’s graceful outline; the lithe, yet strongly built figure, the well-balanced head, now thrown back as the eyes sought the distant horizon; whilst the curly fair locks appeared to have been dashed impatiently aside, and now were just slightly lifted by the evening breeze; for Harry Fenn held his cap in his hand as he folded his arms across his chest. He might have stood for the model of a young Apollo had any artist been by, but art and artists were unknown things in South Benfleet at that time. Mr. Aylett shook his head as he walked towards the lad, even though a smile of pleasure parted his lips as he noted the comeliness of his young parishioner, whom he now addressed. ’Well, Harry, my boy, what may be the thoughts which are keeping you so unusually still?’ Harry started and blushed like a girl, and yet his action was simple enough. ’Indeed, sir, I did not hear you. I--I came here to have a look at our cows down on the marsh. Father----’ Mr. Aylett laughed good-humouredly. ’Am I to believe that that earnest look is all on account of the cattle, Harry?’ Harry felt at this moment as if he had told a lie, and had been found out by Mr. Aylett, who was so good and clever that he could almost, nay, sometimes did, tell one’s thoughts. ’No, sir;’ then, with a winning smile, the lad added, ’in truth I had forgotten all about the cattle. I was dreaming of----’