because it is right. I wish it may be the steadying of Ben!'

The shower rushed over them again, shorter and less violent than the
former one, but driving in most of the crowd, and only leaving on the
quay the vicar, the steward, and a few of the most anxious fishermen.
They could see nothing; for the dark slanting line of rain swept over
the waves, joining together the sea and thick low cloud; and the roaring
of the sea and moaning of the wind were fearful. No one spoke, till
at last the black edges of the Shag loomed clearer, the moon began to
glance through the skirts of the cloud, and the heaving and tossing of
the sea, became more discernible.

'There!--there!' shouted young Jem, the widow's son.

'The boats?'

'One!'

'Where?--where?--for heaven's sake! That's nothing!' cried Markham.

'Yes--yes! I see both,' said Jem. 'The glass! Where's Mr. Brown's
glass!'

Markham was trying to fix his own, but neither hand nor eye were
steady enough; he muttered,--'Hang the glass!' and paced up and down
in uncontrollable anxiety. Mr. Ashford turned with him, trying to
speak consolingly, and entirely liking the old man. Markham was not
ungrateful, but he was almost in despair.

'It is the same over again!' said he. 'He is the age his father was,
though Mr. Morville never was such as he--never--how should he? He is
the last of them--the best--he would have been--he was. Would to heaven
I were with him, that, if he is lost, we might all go together.'

'There, sir,' called Jem, who, being forbidden to do anything but watch,
did so earnestly; 'they be as far now as opposite West Cove. Don't you
see them, in that light place?'

The moon had by this time gone down, but the first great light of dawn
was beginning to fall on the tall Shag, and show its fissures and dark
shades, instead of leaving it one hard, unbroken mass. Now and then Jem
thought he saw the boats; but never so distinctly as to convince the
watchers that they had not been swamped among the huge waves that
tumbled and foamed in that dangerous tract.

Mr. Ashford had borrowed Markham's telescope, and was looking towards
the rock, where the shipwrecked crew had taken refuge.

'There is some one out of the boat, climbing on the rocks. Can you make
him out, Jem?'

'I see--I see,' said Mr. Brown; 'there are two of them. They are
climbing along the lee-side of the long ridge of rocks.'

'Ay, ay,' said old Ledbury; 'they can't get in a boat close to the flat