Mrs. Carleton took the roll of music into her hand, but observing that the writing was almost obliterated from having been so long wet with sea water, she passed it to Miss Vyvyan, who sat a little farther off, desiring to spare him the pain of seeing that his composition was destroyed. The many pages of music were entirely illegible, with the exception of part of the refrain of the song, the words of which ran thus:—
Bury me deep,
Where the surges sweep,
And the heaving billows moan.
At the bottom was the name "Ralph." The following part of the signature was destroyed.
As Anna read over the words of the song, she could not help feeling that they might be prophetic of what was very near. She folded the paper together and returned it to him.
"Is that your signature?" she asked.
"Yes, that is my name," he replied. "Do you like music," he continued.
"I do," she said.
"How much do you like it?"
"I like it to such a degree," she replied, "that I think life is not life without music."
"Ah, that is what I think," he said. "But I am exhausted. Ladies, will you pardon me if I sleep a little while? I want to get back my strength, that I may be able to wait upon you both, and make all the return in my power for your great kindness to me."