Again he saw her quite plainly -- saw and drank her in with his eyes . He did not feel surprise -- something in him had known she would come again . He would not move a muscle lest he lose her as he had lost her before . They looked at each other -- for how long ? He did not know ; and then -- a horrible thing happened . Into that place of wonder and revelation and mystery reeled a hiccoughing , laughing creature , a drunken sailor from a harbour ship , with a leering face and desecrating breath . `` Oh , you 're here , my dear -- I thought I 'd catch you yet , '' he said . He caught hold of her . She screamed . Roger sprang forward and struck him in the face . In his fury of sudden rage the strength of ten seemed to animate his slender body and pass into his blow . The sailor reeled back and put up his hands . He was a coward -- and even a brave man might have been daunted by that terrible white face and those blazing eyes . He backed down the path . `` Shorry -- shorry , '' he muttered . `` Did n't know she was your girl -- shorry I butted in . Shentlemans never butt in -- shorry -- shir -- shorry . '' He kept repeating his ridiculous `` shorry '' until he was out of the grove . Then he turned and ran stumblingly across the field . Roger did not follow ; he went back to Isabel Temple 's grave .
The girl was lying across it ; he XXXXX she was unconscious .
butted come desecrating lost move reeled said screamed struck thought