Chapter 1. ON THE LOOK OUT

heworeseemingtobemadeoutofthemudthatbegrimedhisboat,stilltherewasabusiness-likeusageinhissteadygaze.Sowitheverylitheactionofthegirl,witheveryturnofherwrist,perhapsmostofallwithherlookofdreadorhorrortheywerethingsofusage. ‘Keepherout,Lizzie.Tiderunsstronghere.Keepherwellaforethesweepofit.’ Trustingtothegirl’sskillandmakingnouseoftherudder,heeyedthecomingtidewithanabsorbedattention.Sothegirleyedhim.But,ithappenednow,thataslantoflightfromthesettingsunglancedintothebottomoftheboat,and,touchingarottenstaintherewhichboresomeresemblancetotheoutlineofamuffledhumanform,coloureditasthoughwithdilutedblood.Thiscaughtthegirl’seye,andsheshivered. ‘Whatailsyou?’saidtheman,immediatelyawareofit,thoughsointentontheadvancingwaters‘Iseenothingafloat.’ Theredlightwasgone,theshudderwasgone,andhisgaze,whichhadcomebacktotheboatforamoment,travelledawayagain.Wheresoeverthestrongtidemetwithanimpediment,hisgazepausedforaninstant.Ateverymooring-chainandrope,ateverystationeryboatorbargethatsplitthecurrentintoabroad-arrowhead,attheoffsetsfromthepiersofSouthwarkBridge,atthepaddlesoftheriversteamboatsastheybeatthefilthywater,atthefloatinglogsoftimberlashedtogetherlyingoffcertainwharves,hisshiningeyesdartedahungrylook.Afteradarkeninghourorso,suddenlytherudder-linestightenedinhishold,andhesteeredhardtowardstheSurreyshore. Alwayswatchinghisface,thegirlinstantlyansweredtotheactioninherscullingpresentlytheboatswunground,quiveredasfromasuddenjerk,andtheupperhalfofthemanwasstretchedoutoverthestern. Thegirlpulledthehoodofacloakshewore,overherheadandoverherface,and,lookingbackwardsothatthefrontfoldsofthishoodwereturneddowntheriver,kepttheboatinthatdirectio