em.

When he concluded, and again looked up, Dr Hopley was standing beside
them, with his head bowed upon his breast.

"I fear, doctor," said the captain, "that I have broken my resolution
not to alarm my dear Ailie by word or look. Yet why should I conceal
from her the danger of our position? Her prayers for help ought to
ascend, as well as ours, to Him who alone can deliver us from evil at
any time, but who makes us to _feel_, as well as _know_, the fact at
such times as these."

"But I am not afraid, papa," said Ailie quickly. "I'm never afraid when
you are by me; and I've known we were in danger all along, for I've
heard everybody talking about it often and often, and I've _always_
prayed for deliverance, and surely it must come; for has not Jesus said
if we ask anything in His name He will give it to us?"

"True, darling; but He means only such things as will do us good."

"Of course, papa, if I asked for a bad thing, I would not expect Him to
give me that."

"Deliverance from death," said the doctor, "is a good thing, yet we
cannot be sure that God will grant our prayer for that."

"There are worse things than death, doctor," replied the captain; "it
may be sometimes better for men to die than to live. It seems to me
that we ought to use the words, `if it please the Lord,' more frequently
than we do in prayer. Deliverance from sin needs no such `if,' but
deliverance from death does."

At this point the conversation was interrupted by Tim Rokens, who came
up to the captain, and said respectfully--

"If ye please, sir, it 'ud be as well if ye wos to speak to the men;
there's somethin' like mutiny a-goin' on, I fear."

"Mutiny! why, what about?"

"It's about the spirits. Some on 'em says as how they wants to enjoy
theirselves here as much as they can, for they won't have much chance o'
doin' so ashore any more. It's my belief that fellow Tarquin's at the
bottom o't."

"There's not much spirits aboard the wreck to fight about," said the
captain, somewhat bitterly, as they all rose, and hurried towards the
hut. "I only brought a supply for medicine; but it must not be touched,
however little there is."

When the captain came up, he found the space in front of their rude
dwelling a scene of contention and angry dispute that bade fair to end
in a fight. Tarquin was standing before the first mate, with his knife
drawn, and using violent language and gesticulations towards him, while
the latter st