Old Delabole Paperback -

From the publisher

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1915. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... chapter xxxvi without feae ob reproach Bagged curtains of castellated stone climbed up the northern side of a promontory, and stretched their fretted grey across the sea and sky. They were pierced with a Norman door, and far beyond it danced blue waters to the horizon; above it shone a summer sky, against whose silver and blue the ruin sparkled brightly. Beneath, a little bay opened, and the dark precipices that fell to it were fringed with a trembling lace of foam; while beyond, by Bude and Boss, ' the coastline flung out hugely, cliff on cliff and ness on ness, until Hartland lay like a cloud upon the sea, and little Lundy peeped above the waters. The milky summer air lapped all, melted the ragged crags together, breathed on the white foam light, touched many flowers. Direct sunshine penetrated this opal haze from point to point, now bringing a headland out from among its neighbours, now accentuating the rocky islands that stood scattered seaward, now flushing a grey gull's wing. Shadow played its own sleight; the cliff that was sun-kissed faded and gloomed, the sombre scarps smiled out suddenly with foreheads of gold to spread splendour along the land. Light and darkness ran over the waves also, and now far-off foamfringes, streaking the distant bases of earth, sparkled in sunshine; now cloud shadows dimmed their whiteness and spread purple on the blue, A ewe and a lamb came through the gateway in the castle wall. They climbed surefooted over the green slopes and browsed along together. Overhead the gulls glided, and a robber gull chased a jackdaw who carried a piece of food in his beak. The gull pressed hard upon the smaller bird until jack, after many an aerial turn and twist, was driven to drop his treasure. Whereupon the gull swooped downward and caught th...