The sky overhead was grey, the air tranquil. A filmy mist lay over everything so fine as hardly to obscure the sight of any object, certainly not the upheaving volumes of turbid water and the bulging shoals of mud. Jane turned, terrified at the prospect, aghast――not knowing what to do. How was she to remove her store of money in broad daylight, before all eyes? and already she saw that spectators were gathering on the common in expectation of witnessing a great convulsion of nature. She declined the assistance of the man so civilly proffered, and, locking her door, ran towards Bindon. On reaching the farm she threw herself breathless on a form by the kitchen table, panting, and entreated to be afforded shelter. 'My dear Jane,' said the kind farmer's wife, 'what do you want? Take what is ours and welcome. There was a cow once――――' 'Oh, never mind about the cow now. What am I to do about all the things in my house?' 'About your furniture and clock and bedding?' 'I must remove first of all the things of greatest value that are in the smallest compass. Give me some box that I can lock them in, or a strong drawer.' Mrs. Jose showed Jane a stout cypress chest in a room over the porch. 'You may have that and welcome,' she said. 'But I reckon you will require something in which to carry your traps. Here is an old-fashioned carpet-bag that I will lend you. Shall I go with you and assist you? Shall I summon the men?' 'No――no. I must go first. Later, I shall be glad of assistance.' 'You know best, Jane; but look here. There was the most curious sight imaginable this morning. The rabbits have come off the common on to our land in flocks as of sheep; they are all over our fields now.' 'And the birds have deserted the cliffs. Something is certainly going to happen.' 'We, thank God, are well inland at Bindon, and on the safe side of the hill.' 'There is no time to be lost,' said Jane in feverish unrest and impatience, 'I must go.' Then she hurried from the house. The number of persons assembled on the down had increased. Most stood at a considerable distance from the cliffs, but a few audacious boys dashed forward to the brink, and were screamed at by their mothers, and sworn at by the coastguardsmen, who bellowed to them to return. 'Has there been any change?' asked Jane as she came among the spectators. 'Nothing so far, but something will happen before very long. Hush! Did you hear that?' No――there was no sound, either from sea or land. 'You are surely not going back to your house?' said one of those looking on, as Jane passed him. 'I must go. I have all my little possessions there.' 'However got,' threw in one hard by. Jane Marley accelerated her pace to be away from the crowd and to reach her home.