True," replied Mr Seagrave, in a low voice; "but still what chance we
can have on a sinking ship, with so many helpless creatures around us, I
confess I cannot imagine."

"We must do our best, and submit to His will," replied Ready, who then
went aft, and shifted the helm, so as to put the ship again before the
wind.

As the old man had foretold to the seamen before they quitted the
vessel, the gale was now over, and the sea had gone down considerably.
The ship, however, dragged but slowly through the water, and after a
short time Ready lashed the wheel, and went forward. On his return to
the quarter-deck, he found Mr Seagrave had thrown himself down
(apparently in a state of despair) upon the sail on which Captain Osborn
had been laid after his accident.

"Mr Seagrave, do not give way," said Ready; "if I thought our situation
hopeless, I would candidly say so; but there always is hope, even at the
very worst,--and there always ought to be trust in that God without
whose knowledge not a sparrow falls to the ground. But, Mr Seagrave, I
shall speak as a seaman, and tell you what our probabilities are. The
ship is half-full of water, from her seams having opened by the
straining in the gale, and the heavy blows which she received; but, now
that the gale has abated, she has recovered herself very much. I have
sounded the well, and find that she has not made many inches within the
last two hours, and probably, as she closes her seams, will make less.
If, therefore, it pleases God that the fine weather should continue,
there is no fear of the vessel sinking under us for some time; and as we
are now amongst the islands, it is not impossible, nay, it is very
probable, that we may be able to run her ashore, and thus save our
lives. I thought of all this when I refused to go in the boat, and I
thought also, Mr Seagrave, that if you were to have been deserted by me
as well as by all the rest, you would have been unable yourself to take
advantage of any chances which might turn up in your favour, and
therefore I have remained, hoping, under God's providence, to be the
means of assisting you and your family in this sore position. I think
now it would be better that you should go down into the cabin, and with
a cheerful face encourage poor Mrs Seagrave with the change in the
weather, and the hopes of arriving in some place of safety. If she does
not know that the men have quitted the ship, do not tell her; say that
the stew