“No need?” ejaculated Leslie; “but indeed there is need—” and then he paused abruptly; for it had suddenly dawned upon him that the brig had a distinct list to port, and that she was motionless; not with the buoyant motionlessness of a ship afloat in a calm, but with the absolute absence of all movement characteristic of a ship in dry dock, or stranded!
“Good heavens! what has happened?” he ejaculated. “Tell me, please, at once!” and he again attempted to rise.
But again his self-constituted nurse restrained him.
“Oh, please, please, do not move,” she entreated. “You must obey me, now; or you will never get better. I will tell you everything; but indeed you must not attempt to rise; for, as I said just now, there is no need. The ship is quite safe; I am sure that nothing further can happen to her, at least not for some time to come; and long ere that time arrives you will, please God, be well again, and in a fit state to do whatever seems best to you.”
“Nevertheless,” answered Leslie, “I should like to see the carpenter, if you will have the goodness to call him to me. I perceive that the brig is ashore—though where, I have not the remotest notion; and he will be able to tell me, far more clearly than you can, exactly what has happened.”
The girl leaned over Leslie, and looked down at him with eyes full of trouble.
“Mr Leslie,” she said, the tears welling up into her eyes again, “I must ask you to prepare yourself to hear bad news—very bad and very sad news. I cannot bring the carpenter to you; I cannot bring him, or any other of the crew to you; for, my poor friend, you and I—and Sailor—are the only living beings left on board this most unfortunate ship!”
“You and I—the only people left aboard?” gasped Leslie. “Then, in Heaven’s name, what has become of the real?”
“I cannot tell you—I do not know,” answered the girl. “But if you will let me tell my story in my own way, I have no doubt that your knowledge of seafaring matters will enable you to judge with sufficient accuracy just what has happened.
“You will remember, perhaps, that on the night before last there was a terribly violent storm of lightning and thunder—”