“Don’t be so alarmed, Mrs. Riddell,” she said reassuringly. “This paragraph does not concern your son.” Then she read aloud as follows:—
“TERRIBLE COLLISION AT SEA.
“GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
“The news of a painful disaster has reached us from New York. The Pioneer liner ‘Cartouche’ reports a collision between that vessel and the British steamer ‘Gazelle’ on the 31st ultimo. The weather was thick at the time of the collision, and the foghorn of the ‘Cartouche’ was blowing. Suddenly a vessel emerged from the fog, and was seen to be crossing the starboard bow of the ‘Cartouche.’ The latter was immediately ported, and her engines set full speed astern. But these efforts could not prevent a collision, and in a few seconds the ‘Gazelle’ was struck amidships, going down immediately, with every soul on board. Some of these were afterwards picked up by the boats of the ‘Cartouche.’ But 28 persons are known to have perished, among these being three first-class passengers—Mr. Thomas Ackland, the Lancashire cotton spinner; Mr. Henry Teasdale, son of the Member for Sheffington; and Mr. Edward Lyon, junior member of the firm of Stavanger, Stavanger and Co., diamond merchants, Hatton Garden.”
For awhile there reigned an awestruck silence in the room.
“There seems no doubt about it,” at last said Mr. Cory.
“No, the information is positive enough,” was his sister’s response.
“It seems dreadful,” said Annie, with quivering lips and streaming eyes, “to think of oneself when reading of such awful catastrophes. The news is sad enough for anyone to read, but how can we help thinking also how strangely it affects us? Wear is dead; and now death has overtaken the only other witness, apart from ourselves, upon whom we could hope to place any reliance. Surely God must have forsaken us altogether.”
“Not that, my dear child,” was Mrs. Riddell’s trembling protest. “We are sorely tried. But I cannot bring myself to think that He has wholly deserted us. He is just trying us to the utmost of our strength.”
With this, Mrs. Riddell stooped to kiss Annie. Then, wishing the others “good-night,” she left them, for she feared to break down, and thus increase the sorrow of the others. She also hoped that her Bible, a never-failing source of comfort, would lend her its tranquillising aid. Alas, she was soon to experience a trial great enough to make even her faith falter.
The next morning all four were seated at breakfast, when a servant brought the morning paper in.