Then, indeed, for the
first time did she perceive and take pleasure in the
presence of her lover; and clasping her beloved and
weeping Clara to her heart, thank her God, in all the
fervour of true piety, that she at least had been spared
to shed a ray of comfort on her distracted spirit. But
we will not pain the reader by dwelling on a scene that
drew tears even from the rugged and flint-nerved boatswain
himself; for, although we should linger on it with minute
anatomical detail, no powers of language we possess could
convey the transcript as it should be. Pass we on,
therefore, to the more immediate incidents of our narrative.
The day now rapidly developing, full opportunity was
afforded the mariners to survey the strict nature of
their position. To all appearance they were yet in the
middle of the lake, for around them lay the belting sweep
of forest that bounded the perspective of the equidistant
circle, of which their bark was the focus or immediate
centre. The wind was dying gradually away, and when at
length the sun rose, in all his splendour, there was
scarce air enough in the heavens to keep the sails from
flapping against the masts, or to enable the vessel to
obey her helm.
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