"And the 'Vesuvius,'" fiercely continued Hannah; "the 'Vesuvius' caught on fire and burned down to the water's edge, and was so found--a floating charcoal, and every soul on board perished." "Lord, Hannah, you're enough to make anybody's flesh creep. Surely that was only--" "And then there was the 'Wave,' as struck St. George's bar and smashed all to pieces, and all on board were drowned!" "Well, but, Hannah, you know--" "And the 'Boreas,' that was lost in a gale. And the 'White Bear,' that was jammed to smash between two icebergs. And the 'Platina,' that sunk to the bottom with a clear sky and a smooth sea. Sunk to the bottom as if she had been so much lead. And the--" "Goodness, gracious, me alive! And the Lord bless my soul, Hannah! You turn my very blood to water with your stories. Ishmael, don't you go!" "Nonsense, Uncle Reuben! You know Aunt Hannah. She cannot help looking on the darkest side. When I was a boy, she was always prophesying I'd be hung, you know. Positively, sometimes she made me fear I might be," said Ishmael, smiling, and turning an affectionate glance upon his croaking relative. "Yes, it's all very well for you to talk that way, Ishmael Worth. But I know one thing. I know I never heard of any sort of a ship going safe into port more than two or three times in the whole course of my life. And I have heard of many and many a shipwreck!" said Hannah, nodding her head, with the air of one who had just uttered a "knock-down" argument. "Why, of course, Aunt Hannah. Because, in your remote country neighborhood you always hear of the wreck that happens once in a year or in two years; but you never hear of the thousands upon thousands of ships that are always making safe voyages." "Oh, Ishmael, hush! It won't do. I'm not convinced. I don't expect ever to see you alive again." "Law, Hannah, my dear, don't be so disbelieving. Really, now, you disencourage one." "Hold your tongue, Reuben, you're a fool! I say it, and I stand to it, that steamer will either burst her boiler, or catch on fire, or sink, or something! And we shall never see our boy again." Here little Molly, who had been attentively listening to the conversation, and, like the poor Desdemona, understood "a horror in the words," if not the words, opened her mouth and set up a howl that was immediately seconded by her brother. It became necessary to soothe and quiet these youngsters; and Reuben lifted them both to his knees. "Why, what's the matter with pappy's pets, then? What's all this about?" he inquired, tenderly stroking their heads. "Cousin Ishmael is going away to be drownded! Boo-hoo-woo!" bawled Molly. "And be burnt up, too! Ar-r-r-r-r-r-r!" roared Johnny. "No, I am not going to be either one or the other," said the subject of all this interest cheerfully, as he took the children from Reuben and enthroned them on his own knees. "I am going abroad for a little while, and I will bring you ever so many pretty things when I come back."