"A dangerous one--most dangerous." "And therefore most noble. They seem as if they would speak to me:
look at yon bright star--it beckons to me." For some time Amine's eyes were raised aloft; she spoke not, and
Philip remained at her side. She walked to the gangway of the vessel,
and looked down upon the placid wave, pierced by the moonbeams far
below the surface. "And does your imagination, Amine, conjure up a race of beings gifted
to live beneath that deep blue wave, who sport amid the coral rocks,
and braid their hair with pearls?" said Philip, smiling. "I know not, but it appears to me that it would be sweet to live
there. You may call to mind your dream, Philip; I was then, according
to your description, one of those same beings." "You were," replied Philip, thoughtfully. "And yet I feel as if water would reject me, even if the vessel were
to sink. In what manner this mortal frame of mine may be resolved
into its elements, I know not; but this I do feel, that it never will
become the sport of, or be tossed by, the mocking waves. But come in,
Philip, dearest; it is late, and the decks are wet with dew." When the day dawned, the look-out man at the mast-head reported that
he perceived something floating on the still surface of the water, on
the beam of the vessel. Krantz went up with his glass to examine, and
made it out to be a small boat, probably cut adrift from some vessel. As there was no appearance of wind, Philip permitted a boat to be sent
to examine it, and after a long pull, the seamen returned on board,
towing the small boat astern. "There is a body of a man in it, sir," said the second mate to Krantz,
as he gained the gangway; "but whether he is quite dead, or not, I
cannot tell." Krantz reported this to Philip, who was, at that time, sitting at
breakfast with Amine in the cabin, and then proceeded to the gangway,
to where the body of the man had been already handed up by the seamen. The surgeon, who had been summoned, declared that life was not yet
extinct, and was ordering him to be taken below for recovery, when, to
their astonishment, the man turned as he lay, sat up, and ultimately
rose upon his feet and staggered to a gun, when, after a time, he
appeared to be fully recovered. In reply to questions put to him, he
said that he was in a vessel which had been upset in a squall, that he
had time to cut away the small boat astern, and that all the rest of
the crew had perished. He had hardly made this answer, when Philip
with Amine came out of the cabin, and walked up to where the seamen
were crowded round the man; the seamen retreated so as to make an
opening, when Philip and Amine, to their astonishment and horror,
recognised their old acquaintance, the one-eyed pilot Schriften. "He! he! Captain Vanderdecken, I believe--glad to see you in command,
and you too, fair lady." Philip turned away with a chill at his heart; Amine's eye flashed as
she surveyed the wasted form of the wretched creature. After a few
seconds, she turned round and followed Philip into the cabin, where
she found him with his face buried in his hands. "Courage, Philip, courage!" said Amine; "it was indeed a heavy shock,
and I fear me forbodes evil--but what then; it is our destiny." "It is--it ought perhaps to be mine," replied Philip, raising his
head; "but you, Amine, why should you be a partner--"

"I am your partner, Philip, in life and in death. I would not die
first, Philip, because it would grieve you; but your death will be the
signal for mine, and I will join you quickly." "Surely, Amine, you would not hasten your own?" "Yes! and require but one moment for this little steel to do its
duty." "Nay! Amine, that is not lawful--our religion forbids it." "It may do so, but I cannot tell why. I came into this world without
my own consent--surely I may leave it without asking the leave of
priests! But let that pass for the present: what will you do with that
Schriften?" "Put him on shore at the Cape; I cannot bear the odious wretch's
presence. Did you not feel the chill, as before, when you approached
him?" "I did--I knew that he was there before I saw him; but still, I know
not why, I feel as if I would not send him away." "Why not?" "I believe it is because I am inclined to brave destiny, not to quail
at it. The wretch can do no harm." "Yes, he can--much: he can render the ship's company mutinous and
disaffected;--besides, he attempted to deprive me of my relic." "I almost wish he had done so; then must you have discontinued this
wild search." "Nay, Amine, say not so; it is my duty, and I have taken my solemn
oath--"

"But this Schriften--you cannot well put him ashore at the Cape; being
a Company's officer, you might send him home if you found a ship there
homeward-bound; still, were I you, I would let destiny work. He is
woven in with ours, that is certain. Courage, Philip, and let him
remain." "Perhaps you are right, Amine; I may retard, but cannot escape,
whatever may be my intended fate." "Let him remain, then, and let him do his worst. Treat him with
kindness--who knows what we may gain from him?" "True, true, Amine; he has been my enemy without cause. Who can
tell?--perhaps he may become my friend." "And if not, you will have done your duty. Send for him now." "No, not now--to-morrow; in the meantime, I will order him every
comfort." "We are talking as if he were one of us, which I feel that he is not,"
replied Amine; "but still, mundane or not, we cannot but offer mundane
kindness, and what this world, or rather what this ship affords. I
long now to talk with him, to see if I can produce any effect upon his
ice-like frame. Shall I make love to the ghoul?" and Amine burst into
a bitter laugh. Here the conversation dropped, but its substance was not disregarded. The next morning, the surgeon having reported that Schriften was
apparently quite recovered, he was summoned into the cabin. His frame
was wasted away to a skeleton, but his motions and his language were
as sharp and petulant as ever. "I have sent for you, Schriften, to know if there is anything that I
can do to make you more comfortable. Is there anything that you want?" "Want?" replied Schriften, eyeing first Philip and then Amine.--"He! he! I think I want filling out a little." "That you will, I trust, in good time; my steward has my orders to
take care of you." "Poor man," said Amine, with a look of pity, "how much he must have
suffered! Is not this the man who brought you the letter from the
Company, Philip?" "He! he! yes! Not very welcome, was it, lady?" "No, my good fellow, it's never a welcome message to a wife, that
sends her husband away from her. But that was not your fault." "If a husband will go to sea and leave a handsome wife, when he has,
as they say, plenty of money to live upon on shore, he! he!" "Yes, indeed, you may well say that," replied Amine. "Better give it up. All folly, all madness--eh, captain?"