but it was not a flaming vesuvian; it smouldered, and fizzed, and smelt, but afforded no assistance. I lit another and held it close to the person's nose, but it only illuminated a small circle as big as half-a-crown. I lit a third, and this time the red-hot end tumbled on to the sleeper's cheek. The sleeper started up. It was Dolly Fortescue!
I was not a bit surprised. I had brought myself to look upon Dolly as my Fate. Dolly was not a bit surprised. She looked at me—grinned—and spoke.
"That hot, you odd one!"
When morning broke we looked about us. The island we found was about twenty-five miles long, and seven broad, principally rock—no vegetation—no fresh water. The island was crescent-shaped, the two horns being twenty miles asunder. I had landed on one horn, she on the other, and we had met in the middle. The only native inhabitants were periwinkles and mussels. So we set to work to make ourselves comfortable.
The object of this narrative is not to give a detailed account of the highly ingenious manner in which we continued to live comfortably, and even luxuriously, on our island, but rather to exhibit the caprices of a determined destiny.
I detested Dolly with all my heart, and avoided her whenever it was practicable; but she paid me every attention, and, notwithstanding her unpleasant appearance, she was really valuable to me. She christened the island "Fortescue," and crowned me its monarch. My first act as king was to try her for drawing her knife on the policeman in Bembridge lock-up, and by that
