to join her, is that settlement in the
great desert of oblivion, over which Death has remained governor from
the birth of the world.

But the most unpleasant part of the vision was the appearance of
Jackson; and it was a long time before I could bring myself to believe
that I had not beheld his well-known features--that I had not been
stabbed by him, and that I was not suffering from the mortal wound he
had inflicted. I however at last shook off the delusion, and to Mrs
Reichardt's anxious inquiries replied only that I had had a disagreeable
dream.

In a short time I began to doubt whether the waking was more pleasant
than the dreaming--the vast ocean still spread itself before me like a
mighty winding-sheet, the fair sky, beautiful as it appeared in the rays
of the morning sun, I could only regard as a pall--and our little bark
was the coffin in which two helpless human beings, though still
existing, were waiting interment.

"Has God abandoned us?" I asked my companion; "or has He forgotten that
two of His creatures are in the deepest peril of their lives, from which
He alone can save them?"

"Hush! Frank Henniker," exclaimed Mrs Reichardt, solemnly; "this is
impious. God never abandons those who are worthy of His protection. He
will either save them at His own appointed time--or if He think it more
desirable, will snatch them from a scene where so many dangers surround
them, and place them where there prevails eternal tranquillity and
everlasting bliss.

"We should rather rejoice," she added, with increasing seriousness,
"that we are thought worthy of being so early taken from a world in
which we have met with so many troubles."

"But to die in this way," I observed gloomily; "to be left to linger out
days of terrible torture, without a hope of relief--I cannot reconcile
myself to it."

"We must die sooner or later," she said, "and there are many diseases
which are fatal after protracted suffering of the most agonising
description. These we have been spared. The wretch who lingers in
torment, visited by some loathsome disorder, would envy us, could he see
the comparatively easy manner in which we are suffered to leave
existence.

"But I do not myself see the hopelessness of our case," she added. "It
is not yet impossible that we may be picked up by a ship, or discover
some friendly shore whence we might obtain a passage for England."

"I see no prospect of this," said I; "we are apparently out of