Page:Demon ship, or, The pirate of the Mediterranean.pdf/16

16 astonishment. She soon, however, gained comparative self-possession. 'I must be alone for a few moments,' she said; 'perhaps you will join me below in a brief hour.' When I joined her at the time she had appointed, a heavenly calm had stolen over her countenaneecountenance [sic]. 'Come and sit by me, my friend; our moments seem numbered on earth, but, oh! what an interminable existence stretehesstretches [sic] beyond it. In suehsuch [sic] a moment as this, how do we feel the necessity of some better stay than aught our own unprofitable lives can yield!' Margaret's Bible lay before her. It was open at thothe [sic] history of His sufferings on whom her soul relied. She summoned her maidens, and we all read and prayed together. Her attondantsattendants [sic] were two sisters, of less exalted mind than their mistress, but whose piety, trembling and lowly, was equally genuine.

It was a difficult day to pass, urged by prudence, and the slender remains of hope, to appear with our wonted bearing before the crew. Too plain indieationsindications [sic] that our sentence was at length gone forth soon began to shew themselves. Margaret held me to her with a gentle and trembling tenacity, that rendered it difficult for me to leave her even for a moment; but I felt the duty of ascertaining whether any aid yet appeared in view, or whether Girod could effeeteffect [sic] aught for us. I walked, towards evening, round the quarter-deck—not a sail was to be seen on the horizon. I endeavoured to speak to Girod, but he seemed studiously and fearfully to avoid me. The captain was above, and the deck was thronged. I believe this desperate crew was composed of 'all people, nations, and languages.' Once only I met Girod's eye as he passed me quickly in assisting to hoist a sail. He looked me fixedly and significantly in the face. It was enough: that expressive regard said, 'Your sentence has gone forth!' I instantly deseendeddescended [sic] to the cabin, and my fellow-victims read in my countenaneecountenance [sic] the extinction of hope. We now fastened the door, I primed my pistols, and plaeedplaced [sic] them in my bosom, and clinging to one another we waited our fate. Margaret put her hand in mine with a gentle eonfidenceconfidence [sic], which our eircumstancescircumstances [sic] then warranted, and I held her close to me. She stretched out her other hand to her female attendants, who, clinging eloseclose [sic] together, each held a hand of their mistress. 'Dear Edward!' said Margaret, grasping my arm. It was almost twelve years since I had heard these words from her lips. Unrestrained, at suehsuch [sic] a moment, by the presence of the domestics, Margaret and I used the most endearing expressions, and, like a dying husband and wife, bade solemn farewell to each other. We all then remained silent, our quick beating hearts raised in prayer, and our ear open to