cially, she having seen no land since leaving the
Sandwich Islands, which, she declared, was "_ages_ ago." The last land
we had seen was Staten Island, though we caught the _loom_ of land, or
thought we did, when about abreast of the western end of Magellan
Straits.

We were all longing for a run ashore; and, as I had resolved to
thoroughly search the group, from end to end if need be, for traces of
my father, I decided that we would commence with the eastern end,
examining every island which in the slightest degree answered to the
description given us of the spot on which the _Amazon_ had been cast
away.

Our little lady guest spent much of her time on deck--sitting in a deck-
chair, within easy conversational range of whichever had the tiller; and
she favoured me with her company during the whole of the first watch (it
being my eight hours out that night); but she was unusually silent
gazing in an absent, dreamy manner for the most of the time, far away
over the tranquil starlit sea, and softly humming a bar or two of some
of her favourite songs occasionally. I made one or two attempts to draw
her into conversation, fearing she was in low spirits, but she answered
at random and in monosyllables; and, seeing after a while that I had no
chance, I gave it up.

The next morning, when Bob came on deck to wash down, I said:

"Bob, what is the matter with Miss Brand? have you any idea?"

He looked curiously at me for a moment, and then said:

"Matter? Nothing, as I knows on. What _should_ be the matter with the
little dearie?"

"Nothing _should_ be the matter with her," I answered, rather tartly
perhaps; "but she seemed unusually silent and unlike herself last night:
and, as you seem pretty deep in her confidence, I thought you might know
the cause."

"Ay, ay," he returned; "she _do_ speak pretty free to me, I'll allow;
which I accounts for by my being an old man--at least, _she_ seems to
think me so, if I may judge by what she said yesterday; and as to
knowing the cause of her being out of sorts like, perhaps I do, and
perhaps I don't. I has my suspicions, and pretty strong ones they be,
too; but it ain't for the likes of me to say a word. Axe no questions,
Harry, my lad, but just leave things to work theirselves out; she'll be
all right again shortly, you take my word for it."

"Is she ill, do you think, Bob?" I inquired in some anxiety.

"Ill? do she look like it?" queried he with a loud laugh. "No, no