But from the day when Maggie Peterson went to live with her , Naomi ceased to be the harbour Magdalen . The sun had set when Mr. Leonard reached Spruce Cove , and the harbour was veiling itself in a wondrous twilight splendour . Afar out , the sea lay throbbing and purple , and the moan of the bar came through the sweet , chill spring air with its burden of hopeless , endless longing and seeking . The sky was blossoming into stars above the afterglow ; out to the east the moon was rising , and the sea beneath it was a thing of radiance and silver and glamour ; and a little harbour boat that went sailing across it was transmuted into an elfin shallop from the coast of fairyland . Mr. Leonard sighed as he turned from the sinless beauty of the sea and sky to the threshold of Naomi Clark 's house . It was very small -- one room below , and a sleeping-loft above ; but a bed had been made up for the sick woman by the down-stairs window looking out on the harbour ; and Naomi lay on it , with a lamp burning at her head and another at her side , although it was not yet dark . A great dread of darkness had always been one of Naomi 's peculiarities . She was tossing restlessly on her poor couch , while Maggie crouched on a box at the foot . Mr. Leonard had not seen her for five years , and he was shocked at the change in her . She was much wasted ; her clear-cut , aquiline features had been of the type which becomes indescribably witch-like in old age , and , though Naomi Clark was barely sixty , she looked as if she might be a hundred . Her hair streamed over the pillow in white , uncared-for tresses , and the hands that plucked at the bed-clothes were like wrinkled claws . Only her eyes were unchanged ; they were as blue and brilliant as ever , but now filled with such agonized terror and appeal that Mr. Leonard 's gentle heart almost stood still with the horror of them . They were the eyes of a creature driven wild with torture , hounded by furies , clutched by unutterable fear . Naomi sat up and dragged at his arm . `` Can you help me ? Can you help me ? '' she gasped imploringly . `` Oh , I thought you 'd never come ! I was skeered I 'd die before you got here -- die and go to hell . I did n't know before today that I was dying .
None XXXXX those cowards would tell me .
above although at before below in like of over that