passengers.

At last, when the shores of China were approached, and people began to
talk earnestly about the end of the voyage, Mr Hazlit's shade once more
made its appearance, with a spot of dark red on each cheek and on the
point of his nose. These spots were hopefully regarded as signs of
returning health. They did not appear too soon, for the shade would
infallibly have vanished altogether if it had been subjected to further
attenuation.

"Oh, papa dear, you look so _much_ better to-day!" said Aileen,
arranging his shawls as he lay on deck--"quite rosy."

If she had said port-winy it would have been more in accordance with
truth, but Aileen was rather apt to diverge from truth, unintentionally,
in speaking of her father.

"I am thankful, dear," replied the shade in a faint voice, and with a
fainter smile. "The captain says we shall be in port in a few days, and
then we shall be all right, and--"

"Ha! Shall you?" exclaimed the Demon of the sea, giving the ship a
little lurch to starboard, which cut short the merchant's remarks
abruptly; "you think so, do you? Ho! We shall see!"

Following up this inaudible speech with one of those audible howls for
which demons are so justly celebrated, he went off in a gust of wind,
and summoned to his aid one of those simooms, or monsoons, or typhoons
which are in the habit of ravaging the southern seas.

These spirits, quickly obeying the summons, sent not only Mr Hazlit but
many of the other passengers to their berths, blew into ribbons the few
sails that chanced to be hoisted, boiled up the sea as if in a huge
caldron, caused the blackened sky to mingle with the world of waters,
rent the firmament with gleaming fire and crashing thunder, and hissed
or yelled everywhere in the spirit of wildest revelry.

The _Warrior_ was a splendid steamer, and her commander an able seaman,
but neither splendour of material nor power of mind can avert what is
decreed.

The storm was prolonged, and raged with unwonted fury, the captain did
his best, the good ship behaved nobly, and things went well until the
night of the third day. It was at that time so very dark that nothing
could be seen farther off than a few yards beyond the bulwarks, where
the white-crested waves loomed high in air in a sort of ghostly fashion
as if they meant to fall on the deck unawares and sink the ship.

The passengers had by degrees got used to the mad plunging and rolling
of their iron home, and ev