y to him. Still the old man may be able to speak to
him, and if he is, as you think, a true Christian, he will certainly
endeavour to do so."

"After all, dear Hannah, while we rest assured that God will hear our
petitions, we must remember that He knows best how to answer them,"
observed Mrs Graybrook. "Confiding in His love, let our hearts be
comforted."

More than once the conversation of the mother and daughter had been
interrupted by the loud uproar of the storm, and Jane, their
maid-servant, who had been sitting by herself in the kitchen, came
running in, exclaiming that she was afraid the whole house would be
blown away.

"It has stood many a severer gale than this, Jane," answered her
mistress. "But bring your work in here, as you are alarmed at being
alone," she added, kindly. "We should be worse off if we were to run
out into the garden."

The girl thankfully took advantage of Mrs Graybrook's permission to sit
in the drawing-room; and her presence prevented the two ladies from
speaking further on the subject which occupied their thoughts.

The usual time for their evening prayers arrived.

It seemed to Hannah, even while they were on their knees, that the gale
blew with less fury than before. It was, indeed, one of those storms
which occasionally, during the equinox, sweep along the coast, and,
though brief, cause much damage to vessels caught near the shore,
especially to such as are ill-found and ill-manned. So do the trials of
life wreck those persons destitute of sound faith and religious
principle, while those who are resting on Jesus are carried through them
and preserved.

Next morning the wind had ceased, and the sun shone forth.

Hannah anxiously looked through the telescope in the direction she had
seen the flashes of the guns. There lay a large ship on the rocks, but
her masts were standing, and boats were passing to and fro from the
shore. She was greatly relieved when she soon afterwards heard that,
though the ship had received much damage, no lives had been lost.

"I was wrong last night in giving way to my faithless fears and running
the risk of alarming you, my dear mother," she said, with a smile. "I
feel my heart happier this morning, and believe that God will protect
those we love, and that we shall yet see the _Steadfast_, with a full
cargo, sailing back towards the Mersey, and, better still, that father
and Harry" (she could not bring herself to utter the name of Leonar