e headings printed in big black letters. "Heavy loss of
life at sea again; two vessels in collision, and both sunk. Why! good
gracious!" he continued; "the _Arcadia_--that was the ship William Cole
sailed on!"

[Illustration]

There was a dropping of knives and forks all round the table, and a
general exclamation of dismay.

"O father!" cried Ida. "You don't mean to say that the _Arcadia_ is
lost?"

"I'm afraid so," was the reply. "Yes; it says, 'which sailed from
London on Friday, October 28th.' It must be the same boat."

"But perhaps William wasn't drowned," exclaimed Elsie. "Doesn't it say
if any of them were saved?"

"Only fourteen souls from the liner," was the reply. "Ten of the crew,
and four passengers. Their names are given here, but poor William Cole
isn't mentioned."

"How dreadful!" exclaimed Ida. She pushed away her plate, and the tears
started to her eyes. Elsie, too, leant back in her chair, the corners of
her mouth beginning to turn down.

"She must have sunk very quickly, uncle," said Brian. "How did it
happen?"

"She seems to have come in collision with a sailing ship named the
_Cumberland_," answered Mr. Ormond. "'It was in a fog, and during the
early hours of the morning, when all the passengers were below in their
berths. The _Arcadia_ sank almost immediately. Two boats were filled and
lowered, but one capsized as it touched the water. The survivors were
taken on board the _Cumberland_, but that vessel was so badly damaged
that it was found impossible to keep her afloat. Fortunately the rockets
she sent up were seen by a merchant steamer, which took the _Cumberland's_
crew and the survivors from the _Arcadia_ on board, and eventually
landed them at one of the Spanish ports. One man on the sailing ship was
killed and another injured by the falling of spars from aloft, which
were brought down by the blow.'"

"But isn't there any hope that William was saved?" asked Elsie in a
choking voice. "Has he really been drowned?"

"I'm afraid so," was the reply. "The names of all those saved were
telegraphed at once by the British consul."

"I can't think how a big ship like that can possibly sink so quickly,"
said Guy.

"You wouldn't wonder at it if you saw the size of the hole that one
vessel can make in another's side," answered his father. "It's very sad.
Poor William! If he'd only known what was before him, he'd have been
content to stop in England."

A dark shadow seemed to have falle