“Has God abandoned us?” I asked my companion; “or has He forgotten that two of His creatures are in the deepest peril of their lives, from which He alone can save them?”
“Hush! Frank Henniker,” exclaimed Mrs Reichardt, solemnly; “this is impious. God never abandons those who are worthy of His protection. He will either save them at His own appointed time—or if He think it more desirable, will snatch them from a scene where so many dangers surround them, and place them where there prevails eternal tranquillity and everlasting bliss.
“We should rather rejoice,” she added, with increasing seriousness, “that we are thought worthy of being so early taken from a world in which we have met with so many troubles.”
“But to die in this way,” I observed gloomily; “to be left to linger out days of terrible torture, without a hope of relief—I cannot reconcile myself to it.”
“We must die sooner or later,” she said, “and there are many diseases which are fatal after protracted suffering of the most agonising description. These we have been spared. The wretch who lingers in torment, visited by some loathsome disorder, would envy us, could he see the comparatively easy manner in which we are suffered to leave existence.
“But I do not myself see the hopelessness of our case,” she added. “It is not yet impossible that we may be picked up by a ship, or discover some friendly shore whence we might obtain a passage for England.”
“I see no prospect of this,” said I; “we are apparently out of the track of ships, and if it should be our chance to discover one, the people on board are not likely to observe us. I wish I had never left the island.”
Mrs Reichardt never reproached me—never so much as reminded me that it was my own fault. She merely added, “It was the will of God.”
We ate and drank our small rations—my companion always blessing the meal, and offering a thanksgiving for being permitted to enjoy it. I noticed what was left. We had been extremely economical, yet there was barely enough for another day. We determined still further to reduce the trifling portion we allowed ourselves that we might increase our chance of escape.