This little episode over, he turned once more towards the sea, watchingthe sun of late evening fall upon the towers of Elizabeth Castle andthe great rock out of which St. Helier the hermit once chiselled hislofty home. He breathed deep and strong, and the carriage of his bodywas light, for he had a healthy enjoyment of all physical sensations andall the obvious drolleries of life. A broad sort of humour was writtenupon every feature; in the full, quizzical eye, in the width of cheek-bone, in the broad mouth, and in the depth of the laugh, which, however,often ended in a sort of chuckle not entirely pleasant. It suggested aselfish enjoyment of the odd or the melodramatic side of other people'sdifficulties.

At last the youth encased his telescope, and turned to descend the hillto the town. As he did so, a bell began to ring. From where he was hecould look down into the Vier Marchi, or market-place, where stood theCohue Royale and home of legislature. In the belfry of this court-house, the bell was ringing to call the Jurats together for a meeting ofthe States. A monstrous tin pan would have yielded as much assonance.Walking down towards the Vier Marchi the lad gleefully recalled thehumour of a wag who, some days before, had imitated the sound of the bellwith the words: