Sabine Baring-Gould

“ He came near to where she was, but he did not see her. The flashing of the lightning dazzled the eyes. He saw only what was within the radius of the light from his lantern. He stood still. There were three great balks rose out of the marsh to the roadway, serving as piers for the single line of rail, and these were braced and girded with other beams a very little way above the ground.
‘One—two,’ said Mr Shamgar Tapp.
Jael heard his words. The wind set inwards. She was hidden behind the third balk.
Then her father set down the lantern and turned up the turf with his spade. ”

“ I know what does for such constitutions as hers. Why, when I was a girl, myself, ’tother day, I was as skittish as she—not that I ever runned into the arms of octopuses. I let the octopuses run after me, and I kicked and struggled before I let them throw their arms about me.’
‘How you must have changed since then,’ said Shamgar grimly. ”

“ I will vex you no more,’ said Jael, hardly controlling herself, and she went out of the door.
Mr Tapp thought he had gone too far, spoken too strongly, and he half rose from his seat.
‘You let her alone,’ said Mrs Bagg.
‘Hard words break no bones. You’ve given her a pill that will set her to rights. I understand female nature. Haven’t I got it myself? If a person has it and has had it these forty—I mean thirty-five years, experiencing of it and experimentalising on it day and night, winter and summer, one must be a fool not to understand it. It will do her good. Trust me. ”