HIS FINIS. 373 



water a flash of light followed by the sullen boom of 

 the minute gun. One is often bolder in the extremity 

 of fear than when courage is at its best. Breeta, beset 

 by many terrors, turned at that moment to her husband, 

 and cried beseechingly — " James ! have pity this 

 time and help yon poor ship. Remember this is Yule 

 e'en, that should be the blessed time o' a' the year. 

 Have mercy as ye hope for it when ye stand before 

 God!" 



Gertson's eyes had never turned from her. He did 

 not move or speak; and, spell-bound, Breeta put out 

 her hand and laid it on his arm. Was it an arm ? 

 what was it ? Nothing palpable met her touch. 

 Almost mad with terror, Breeta flung up both hands 

 to push the horror from her — for it seemed to draw 

 nearer and nearer — but her arms only beat the empty 

 air. There was nothing there, no one near. Yet her 

 eyes were on the semblance of James Gertson, her 

 husband, standing as he had done all the time looking 

 fixedly at her. 



In the mythology of Hialtland there is a class of 

 spirits known by the name of the Finis. " Those 

 beings appear before a death, personating the individual 

 who is to die. Sometimes they are seen by the person 

 himself, sometimes by his friends, more often by 

 unchaTicie folk. Certainly the term Finis is identical 

 with that word which appears at the end of a volume, 

 the Finis being the apparition which appears before 

 death — before the end." I have quoted the above to 

 explain to my readers what may appear incompre- 



