seen again by her mortal eyes.

Suddenly there was a shock and stound all over the vessel, her progress
was stopped, and a rocking vibration was felt everywhere. The quarter-
deck was filled with blasts of steam, which obscured everything. Sick
people came rushing up out of their berths in strange undress; the
steerage passengers--a motley and picturesque set of people, in many
varieties of gay costume--took refuge on the quarter-deck, speaking
loudly in all varieties of French and Italian _patois_. Ellinor stood up
in silent, wondering dismay. Was the _Santa Lucia_ going down on the
great deep, and Dixon unaided in his peril? Dr. Livingstone was by her
side in a moment. She could scarcely see him for the vapour, nor hear
him for the roar of the escaping steam.

"Do not be unnecessarily frightened," he repeated, a little louder. "Some
accident has occurred to the engines. I will go and make instant
inquiry, and come back to you as soon as I can. Trust to me."

He came back to where she sat trembling.

"A part of the engine is broken, through the carelessness of these
Neapolitan engineers; they say we must make for the nearest port--return
to Civita, in fact."

"But Elba is not many miles away," said Ellinor. "If this steam were but
away, you could see it still."

"And if we were landed there we might stay on the island for many days;
no steamer touches there; but if we return to Civita, we shall be in time
for the Sunday boat."

"Oh, dear, dear!" said Ellinor. "To-day is the second--Sunday will be
the fourth--the assizes begin on the seventh; how miserably unfortunate!"

"Yes!" he said, "it is. And these things always appear so doubly
unfortunate when they hinder our serving others! But it does not follow
that because the assizes begin at Hellingford on the seventh, Dixon's
trial will come on so soon. We may still get to Marseilles on Monday
evening; on by diligence to Lyons; it will--it must, I fear, be Thursday,
at the earliest, before we reach Paris--Thursday, the eighth--and I
suppose you know of some exculpatory evidence that has to be hunted up?"

He added this unwillingly; for he saw that Ellinor was jealous of the
secresy she had hitherto maintained as to her reasons for believing Dixon
innocent; but he could not help thinking that she, a gentle, timid woman,
unaccustomed to action or business, would require some of the assistance
which he would have been so thankful to give her; especiall