“Such is life,” went through his heart.  “Did not a steward on a gloomy, horrid night call ‘Danger!’ into my cabin, like the shouting of a death sentence into the cell of a poor sinner by both the judge and the hangman?  And now comes the peaceful piping of the shepherd’s reed, while the thunder is still rolling.”  It was not until his sobbing ceased that he felt a thrill of bliss, as if life were again drawing near in triumph.  A flash of feeling set him afire, as when a vast army approaches with music playing and banners flying, an army of invincible brethren, among whom he is safe at home again.  Never before had life come rolling toward him in waves so strong or colours so shining.  One must have been cast very, very deep down in darkness and confusion to learn that there is no more glorious sun in all God’s heavens than the sun that shines upon our earth.

The other passengers from the Roland were each in his own way affected by the call of “Land!” Mrs. Liebling was heard to cry for Rosa and Flitte.

“By Jove, you rascal,” said Arthur Stoss to his faithful Bulke, “by Jove, we’ll feel the land under our soles again after all.”

Doctor Wilhelm peeped into Frederick’s cabin.

“Congratulate you, Doctor von Kammacher,” he said.  “The land of Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci has been sighted.  We enjoy the advantage of having no trunks to pack.”

Suddenly the fat little engineer, Mr. Wendler, was peering over Doctor Wilhelm’s shoulder.

“Doctor,” he cried, wringing his hands with a comic air of helplessness, “you must come right on deck.  Your ward is crying her eyes out.”  He referred, of course, to Ingigerd.

She was still crying when Frederick reached deck.  His attempts at consolation did not touch her.  He had never before seen her cry, and the state she was in, so like the one from which he himself had scarcely emerged, aroused his pity and sympathy, which, however, were rather of a paternal sort, untinged by his former passion.

“I am not to blame,” she suddenly said, “that my father lost his life.  I am not even responsible for Mr. Achleitner.  I did my best to dissuade him from making the trip.”

Frederick stroked Ingigerd’s hand.

“All due respect to Achleitner, but if I mourn single victims of that fearful night, I first think of the heroes of the Roland, Captain von Kessel, his mate, Von Halm, and all those picked braves who really died like great men fulfilling their duty.  They are a loss to the world.  At the first sight of them, I, in my innocence, actually believed the Lord would never permit their destruction.”

LIX

The Hamburg had left behind the vast solitude of the ocean, broken only at long intervals by single far-off ships, and was already making its way through waters lively with a large number of steamers and sailing craft, leaving, and making for, the port.  Now the lighthouse at Sandy Hook was visible.