How quiet our party appeared that evening, so many having gone. My
uncle spoke but little. Oliver did his best to interest Grace and me;
and the Frau, though she did not talk very learnedly, talked away, and
did her best to amuse us. Every now and then she turned on Mr Sedgwick
and bantered him on his silence. Merlin went up to the seats which had
usually been occupied by the absent ones and snuffed at them all round.
Then he went and lay down in his usual place on a mat near the door. He
had seen them go off in the vessel in the morning. I wonder if he knew
where they had gone. I believe he was fully aware that they had gone in
search of Walter.

There was another earthquake last night. The house shook almost as much
as before, and this morning I thought my uncle looked far more anxious
than ever; indeed, he observed that he was not quite certain whether it
would not have been wiser for us all to have gone on board the _Hope_.
"These earthquakes are often forerunners of an eruption," I heard him
remark to Oliver. Oliver and he went out soon afterwards to Hope
Harbour with their axes, and were absent all the day. When they came
back Oliver said he had been employed in cutting down trees. I asked
him what they were for.

"Why, Mr Sedgwick thinks it may be as well to prepare a raft, in case
we should wish to leave the island before the return of the boat."

"But could we possibly wish to do that?" I exclaimed. "Not under
ordinary circumstances," he answered. "But, Miss Emily, I would urge
you to brace up your nerves for whatever may occur; or better than that,
seek for strength from above to go through any danger to which you may
be exposed. I think indeed that Mr Sedgwick himself wished me to talk
to you about the matter, for he has grave apprehensions that there may
be, with short notice, an eruption of the mountain. I had terrible
evidence of what that may produce, when Walter and I escaped from our
island. He therefore thinks it prudent to have a raft ready sufficient
to carry us all. If we could build it, it would remain secure in Hope
Harbour, though we may pray that it may not be required. The trees we
have cut down are of a very light wood, which floats easily, and we are
going to place the planks which remain over from the vessel, with a
quantity of bamboo on the top of it, so that we may quickly make a
buoyant and secure raft."

I believe I should have been far more alarmed at this info