about one o'clock
Never doubting the honesty of his beloved , tricked as it were by her happy , care-free attitude , the man had drifted contentedly in the sun of love , and the month of June ; but to-night a bank of clouds was rising to meet the moon half-way upon her celestial journey , and the winds of doubt and uneasiness were lifting the corners of that warm , comforting mantle of serenity which we seldom have a chance to take down from its peg in the wardrobe of life . Yesterday she had left him with a flat refusal to meet him , and her eyes had been like the eyes of the dead , and her hands had been like ice , and her voice had been most uncompromisingly final . All day he had argued with himself , surmised and made excuses , sunned himself in the cove at Rapparree , assuring himself stubbornly that everything was quite all right ; and at last , dinnerless , desperate , and afraid , had started off hot foot to find her ; intending to crush the resistance out of her with the outpourings of his love , and force her to risk everything for the sake of a life-long happiness . It was just about one o'clock when he scrunched past the rusty old wreck and clambered up and over the rocks and through the opening to the second cove ; and his heart leapt as he steadied himself when his eyes found that which they had eagerly sought ; then missed a beat as , for some unknown reason , he stood stock still , and drew back into the shadows . Leonie was standing knee deep in a pool . The saw-edged rocks rose behind her , shining like steel in the moonlight ; great strands of seaweed swirled about her , for all the world like snakes , weaving in and out of the burnished hair which spread itself fanwise on the water about her knees . Save for the thinnest , finest silk bathing dress which clung to the perfect body , as does the soft fragrant skin to the peach , she was nude , and so unaware of eyes upon her that the man held his breath , fearing she might spy him in the shade .