“I’m main sure He must,” answered David, with an increase of confidence. “I ain’t no scholar, but I know teacher said as them words on my card were for everybody as would take un. Teacher knows all about it; I know she’d tell you as He doesn’t ever forget, and I can kind of understand it too, because He don’t forget the sea, you know.” Bertie’s face looked a little less sad, though still very grave and thoughtful. He seemed to have a purpose in his mind, which he proceeded to confide to David. “When will it be high tide, David?” “In half an hour about.” “Then I’ll wait for it,” said Bertie. “Let’s sit down just above high-water mark.” David obeyed readily, and when they were seated upon the loose dry sand he looked at his little companion as if awaiting instructions. Bertie rested his chin in his hand, in one of his favorite attitudes, and when he spoke it was with great deliberation. “You’re sure it’s God who makes the tide turn, David?” “Yes, quite sure. Mother says so, and father and teacher and everybody. Besides nobody else _couldn’t_ do it.” “No,” answered Bertie; “there was a king once who tried to—no, let me think how it was. His servants told him he could, because he was such a great king; but he knew he couldn’t, and did not like the people to say such things. So he came down and sat on the sand one day when the tide was coming in, and told it to go back, and of course it wouldn’t; and the silly men who had pretended to think the sea would obey him were made ashamed of themselves. Somebody told me the story once—it was a lady—we were sitting in a big room with red curtains, by a fire—” Bertie stopped suddenly; the flash had gone and left him in darkness; he could see nothing more. David had listened with deep attention. “That’s a nice story,” he said, adding, after a moment’s pause, “I knew there wasn’t nobody but God as could stop the sea.” Bertie gave himself a little shake and brought himself back to the present. “Do you think God looks down out of heaven every time to send it back?” “I think He must. It do all go so regular like; don’t see how it could if He didn’t look after it well.” Bertie turned his answer over, and seemed convinced. “Then, if we go on sitting here, He can’t help seeing us too?” “No, I don’t see as He can.” “Very well,” said Bertie, with an odd look of purpose on his face, “we’ll sit and wait. You tell me when it’s high tide.” Upon that level shore each wave seemed to advance upon the last, and the distance between high and low-water mark was very great. As a natural consequence, the turn of the tide was more easily defined along that coast than upon one more steep, and the practised eye of the habitual watcher could distinguish with considerable accuracy the moment at which the tide might be fairly said to “be on the turn.”