anoldhat;aman'shat.nowwhenmightthathavebeenwashedoverboard?shedrewnearer,shestoppedtolookatthehat;"ha!whatwaslyingyonder?"sheshuddered;yetitwasnothingsaveaheapofgrassandtangledseaweedflungacrossalongstone,butitlookedlikeacorpse.onlytangledgrass,andyetshewasfrightenedatit.assheturnedtowalkaway,muchcameintohermindthatshehadheardinherchildhood:oldsuperstitionsofspectresbythesea-shore;oftheghostsofdrownedbutunburiedpeople,whosecorpseshadbeenwasheduponthedesolatebeach.thebody,sheknew,coulddonoharmtoanyone,butthespiritcouldpursuethelonelywanderer,attachitselftohim,anddemandtobecarriedtothechurchyard,thatitmightrestinconsecratedground."holdfast!holdfast!"thespectrewouldcry;andasannelisbethmurmuredthesewordstoherself,thewholeofherdreamwassuddenlyrecalledtohermemory,whenthemotherhadclungtoher,andutteredthesewords,when,amidthecrashingofworlds,hersleevehadbeentorn,andshehadslippedfromthegraspofherchild,whowantedtoholdherupinthatterriblehour.herchild,herownchild,whichshehadneverloved,laynowburiedinthesea,andmightriseup,likeaspectre,fromthewaters,andcry,"holdfast;carrymetoconsecratedground!"

asthesethoughtspassedthroughhermind,feargavespeedtoherfeet,sothatshewalkedfasterandfaster.fearcameuponherasifacold,clammyhandhadbeenlaiduponherheart,sothatshealmostfainted.asshelookedacrossthesea,alltheregrewdarker;aheavymistcamerollingonwards,andclungtobushandtree,distortingthemintofantasticshapes.sheturnedandglancedatthemoon,whichhadrisenbehindher.itlookedlikeapale,raylesssurface,andadeadlyweightseemedtohanguponherlimbs."hold,"thoughtshe;andthensheturnedroundasecondtimetolookatthemoon.awhitefaceappearedquiteclosetoher,withamist,hanginglikeagarmentfromitsshoulders."stop!carrymetoconsecratedearth,"soundedinherears,instrange,hollowtones.thesounddidnotcomefromfrogsorravens;shesawnosignofsuchcreatures."agrave!digmeagrave!"wasrepeatedquiteloud.yes,itwasindeedthespectreofherchild.thechildthatlaybeneaththeocean,andwhosespiritcouldhavenorestuntilitwascarriedtothechurchyard,anduntilagravehadbeendugforitinconsecratedground.shewouldgothereatonce,andthereshewoulddig.sheturnedinthedirectionofthechurch,andtheweightonherheartseemedtogrowlighter,andeventovanishaltogether;butwhensheturnedtogohomebytheshortestway,itreturned."stop!stop!"andthewordscamequiteclear,thoughtheywerelikethecroakofafrog,orthewailofabird."agrave!digmeagrave!"

themistwascoldanddamp,herhandsandfaceweremoistandclammywithhorror,aheavyweightagainseizedherandclungtoher,hermindbecameclearforthoughtsthathadneverbeforebeenthere.

inthesenorthernregions,abeech-woodoftenbudsinasinglenightandappearsinthemorningsunlightinitsfullgloryofyouthfulgreen.so,inasingleinstant,cantheconsciousnessofthesinthathasbeencommittedinthoughts,words,andactionsofourpastlife,beunfoldedtous.whenoncetheconscienceisawakened,itspringsupintheheartspontaneously,andgodawakenstheconsciencewhenweleastexpectit.thenwecanfindnoexcuseforourselves;thedeedisthereandbearswitnessagainstus.thethoughtsseemtobecomewords,andtosoundfaroutintotheworld.wearehorrifiedatthethoughtofwhatwehavecarriedwithinus,andattheconsciousnessthatwehavenotovercometheevilwhichhasitsorigininthoughtlessnessandpride.theheartconcealswithinitselfthevicesaswellasthevirtues,andtheygrowintheshallowestground.annelisbethnowexperiencedinthoughtwhatwehaveclothedinwords.shewasoverpoweredbythem,andsankdownandcreptalongforsomedistanceontheground."agrave!