journey, or my father had
gone away to sea, and she was afraid that he might be unable to find her
on his return if she left her home; or, now I think of it, I remember my
father saying that she died soon after my grandfather was lost, when he
himself was a little chap."

"Well, all is ordered for the best, though we don't see how," said Mr
Troil. "And now you have come you must stay with us and turn back into
a Shetlander. What do you say to my proposal?"

"Oh, do stay with us, Cousin Peter!" exclaimed Maggie, taking my hand
and looking up in my face.

"Indeed, I should like very much to do so," I answered, "but there is my
sister Mary, and I cannot desert her, even though I know that she is
well off with Mr Gray."

"Then Peter must go and fetch her!" exclaimed Maggie. "Oh, I should so
like to have her here! I would love her as a sister."

"A bright idea of yours, Maggie," said Mr Troil. "What do you say to
it, Peter? I will furnish you with ample funds, and you can be back
here in a month, as I feel very sure that your friend Mr Gray will
willingly allow Mary to come."

I need not say that I gladly accepted my generous relative's proposal,
and it was arranged that as soon as I had quite recovered my strength I
should go south in the first vessel sailing from Lerwick, accompanied by
Jim, who wanted to see his friends, and hoped to be able to work his
passage both ways, so that he might not be separated from me.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

A DISASTROUS VOYAGE.

I was soon myself again, and ready for the proposed voyage southward.
Accordingly, Mr Troil having received directions from Mr Gray to send
the _Good Intent_ to Lerwick to be refitted, Tom and I, bidding
farewell, as we hoped, only for a short season to Miss Troil and Maggie,
went on board the brig to assist in carrying her there, intending to
proceed by the first vessel sailing after our arrival. Mr Troil sent
us a pilot and a good crew to navigate the vessel, and accompanied her
himself in his sloop, that he might assist us if necessary.

The wind was fair and the sea smooth, and thus without accident we
arrived in that fine harbour called Brassa Sound, on the shore of which
Lerwick, the capital of the islands, stands. We there found a vessel
shortly to sail for Newcastle. Having taken in a cargo of coals, she
was thence to proceed to Portsmouth. This so exactly suited our object
that Mr Troil at once engaged a passage on board her for Jim and