"And if this is our own earth," she cried, "is that our own moon? And if it is, what is the moon doing over there? Will you tell me that?"
There was pertinence in her question. From the exact point where the sun had descended five minutes earlier the silver rim of a great white moon was rising. Already the wide plain before it was invaded and dimly illuminated by the flood of its elfin radiance. It was as if, when the sun went down, the moon had been waiting there, and had now slipped past to take his place in the sky.
"Surely a very singular moonrise-in the west!" murmured the ex-lawyer. Inwardly he was more shocked by this apparent misplacement of the lunar orb than by anything which had yet occurred. If the stars had reassured him surely the moon had been prompt to undo their work.
"Is that thing a rock or an animal?"
Again it was Viola who spoke, and again her companions stared where the girl was pointing. Fifteen feet to the right of them was a large, dark object. It lay half in the black shadow of the ruined arch, half in the steadily increasing moonlight.
"That is only a part of the old gateway," began Drayton in a quiet, reassuring tone.
Even as he spoke, however, the dark thing seemed to rear itself slightly from the ground.
Trenmore made a quick movement; but Viola caught his arm.
"Don't go! Don't go near it, Terry! It may be some savage wild beast that's been hiding there!"
"And d'ye think I fear it then?" growled Trenmore.