certainly,thereshewas,sailinghomewardswithclaraandjurgenonboard.

clarasatondeck,andsawthesand-hillsgraduallyappearinginthedistance;thechurchandlighthouselookedlikeaheronandaswanrisingfromthebluewaters.ifthewindheldgoodtheymightreachhomeinaboutanhour.soneartheyweretohomeandallitsjoys-soneartodeathandallitsterrors!aplankintheshipgaveway,andthewaterrushedin;thecrewflewtothepumps,anddidtheirbesttostoptheleak.asignalofdistresswashoisted,buttheywerestillfullyamilefromtheshore.somefishingboatswereinsight,buttheyweretoofarofftobeofanyuse.thewindblewtowardstheland,thetidewasintheirfavour,butitwasalluseless;theshipcouldnotbesaved.

jurgenthrewhisrightarmroundclara,andpressedhertowhatalookshegazedupintohisface,aswithaprayertogodforhelphebreastedthewaves,whichrushedoverthesinkingship!sheutteredacry,butshefeltsafeandcertainthathewouldnotleavehertosink.andinthishourofterroranddangerjurgenfeltastheking'ssondid,astoldintheoldsong:

"inthehourofperilwhenmostmenfear,

heclaspedthebridethatheheldsodear."

howgladhefeltthathewasagoodswimmer!heworkedhiswayonwardwithhisfeetandonearm,whileheheldtheyounggirlupfirmlywiththeother.herestedonthewaves,hetrodthewater-infact,dideverythinghecouldthinkof,inordernottofatiguehimself,andtoreservestrengthenoughtoreachland.heheardclarasigh,andfelthershudderconvulsively,andhepressedhermorecloselytohim.nowandthenawaverolledoverthem,thecurrentliftedthem;thewater,althoughdeep,wassoclearthatforamomentheimaginedhesawtheshoalsofmackerelglittering,orleviathanhimselfreadytoswallowthem.nowthecloudscastashadowoverthewater,thenagaincametheplayingsunbeams;flocksofloudlyscreamingbirdspassedoverhim,andtheplumpandlazywildduckswhichallowthemselvestobedriftedbythewavesroseupterrifiedatthesightoftheswimmer.hebegantofeelhisstrengthdecreasing,buthewasonlyafewcablelengths'distancefromtheshore,andhelpwascoming,foraboatwasapproachinghim.atthismomenthedistinctlysawawhitestaringfigureunderthewater-awaveliftedhimup,andhecamenearertothefigure-hefeltaviolentshock,andeverythingbecamedarkaroundhim.

onthesandreeflaythewreckofaship,whichwascoveredwithwaterathightide;thewhitefigureheadrestedagainsttheanchor,thesharpironedgeofwhichrosejustabovethesurface.jurgenhadcomeincontactwiththis;thetidehaddrivenhimagainstitwithgreatforce.hesankdownstunnedwiththeblow,butthenextwaveliftedhimandtheyounggirlupagain.somefishermen,comingwithaboat,seizedthemanddraggedthemintoit.thebloodstreameddownoverjurgen'sface;heseemeddead,butstillheldtheyounggirlsotightlythattheywereobligedtotakeherfromhimbyforce.shewaspaleandlifeless;theylaidherintheboat,androwedasquicklyaspossibletotheshore.theytriedeverymeanstorestoreclaratolife,butitwasallofnoavail.jurgenhadbeenswimmingforsomedistancewithacorpseinhisarms,andhadexhaustedhisstrengthforonewhowasdead.

jurgenstillbreathed,sothefishermencarriedhimtothenearesthouseuponthesand-hills,whereasmithandgeneraldealerlivedwhoknewsomethingofsurgery,andboundupjurgen'swoundsinatemporarywayuntilasurgeoncouldbeobtainedfromthenearesttownthenextday.theinjuredman'sbrainwasaffected,andinhisdeliriumheutteredwildcries;butonthethirddayhelayquietandweakuponhisbed;hislifeseemedtohangbyathread,andthephysiciansaiditwouldbebetterforhimifthisthreadbroke."letuspraythatgodmaytakehim,"hesaid,"forhewillneverbethesamemanagain."

butlifedidnotdepartfromhim-thethreadwouldnotbreak,butthethreadofmemorywassevered;thethreadofhismindhadbeencutthrough,andwhatwasstillmoregrievous,abodyremained-alivinghealthybodythatwanderedaboutlikeatroubledspirit.

jurgenremainedinmerchantbronne'shouse."hewashurtwhileendeavouringtosaveourchild,"saidtheoldman,"andnowheisourson."peoplecalledjurgeninsane,butthatwasnotexactlythecorrectterm.hewaslikeaninstrumentinwhichthestringsarelooseandwillgivenosound;onlyoccasionallytheyregainedtheirpowerforafewminutes,andthentheysoundedastheyusedtodo.hewouldsingsnatchesofsongsoroldmelodies,picturesofthepastwouldrisebeforehim,andthendisappearinthemist,asitwere,butasageneralrulehesatstaringintovacancy,withoutathought.wemayconjecturethathedidnotsuffer,buthisdarkeyeslosttheirbrightness,andlookedlikecloudedglass.

"poormadjurgen,"saidthepeople.andthiswastheendofalifewhoseinfancywastohavebeensurroundedwithwealthandsplendourhadhisparentslived!