Kneeling down beside her, after carefully closing the door, Hughes passed his arm gently round the sleeping girl's waist. She awoke with a start, glancing round her with a terrified look, as she pushed back the long hair from her face and forehead. For a few moments, so deep had been the sleep of fatigue and exhaustion, she knew not where she was or what had happened, but as her startled gaze fell on the narrow bed, the whole of the sorrowful present returned to her. Dom Maxara was breathing very heavily, and with great difficulty. "Oh, Enrico, how wicked I have been," she exclaimed. "How could I go to sleep?" "How could you avoid it, dear Isabel, after such a time of mental and bodily fatigues. Has he spoken?" asked Hughes, looking up into her face. "No, he has never moved, never opened his eyes; but I don't know how long I have been asleep," was the reply. "What is the news on deck? If we could only get him ashore, my dear dear father!" "The gale is completely broken, the sea rapidly falling, and we shall soon have a dead calm, Isabel; but the leak is gaining on us, some plank must be started, and there is ten feet water in the hold." "Is land far off?" asked the girl, whose face looked pale and careworn. "If we could only get him to land." "We have no boats, and no means of landing. The brig is nearly motionless, and will soon be quite so. If we had wind we might run her on the coast; but at present it is only a question of how many hours we can float. The captain talks of a raft." "Land ho!" was heard shouted on the forecastle. "Where away?" was asked from the quarter-deck. "Broad on the starboard bow, sir, nearly ahead." The shout seemed to rouse the sick man. His eyes opened languidly, and so heavy and stertorous was the breathing, that the clothes rose and fell with the labouring chest. Dom Maxara had regained consciousness, but it became evident that some severe internal injury had taken place, and that death was not far off. Isabel leaned over him, and kissed the white lips. "Land is in sight, dear father; the weather is fine, and we shall soon reach it," she whispered, placing her hand in his. The old man closed his eyes, and prayed; he then motioned with his hand, and Hughes gave him some teaspoonsful of weak brandy and water. This revived him, and the cushions being arranged, he managed, though with much pain, to make himself heard. "I shall never land, my daughter," he said, "never. Isabel, at the foot of my bed you will find a tin case, bring it." The weeping girl did as she was told without a word. "Enrico," continued the dying man, slowly and feebly, "all my papers are there. Whatever property I have is left to my daughter. Isabel, I am leaving you fast." The girl knelt by his side, sobbing bitterly, but without speaking.