The String of Pearls (1850), p. 718

the Surrey side, till I got him into a court where there was no thoroughfare, and then I nabbed him."
"'And he did no mischief?"
"None to signify. He settled a couple of old women and five or six children, that was all."
Tobias shuddered, and the colonel said—
"I cannot but be surprised that Sir Richard has not yet found out the retreat of Todd, and my own opinion is that he is dead."
"It is more than probable," said Ingestrie; "I have thought so several times. When he found that there was no hope for him, and that he was in a state of destitution, or something near it, which must be the fact, it is likely enough that he has laid violent hands upon himself, and his body may not be found for a long time."
"Well," said the colonel "let us get out for a stroll upon the beach. It will be dark in another half hour, and as there is no moon to-night, we shall not like to remain out.''
They all rose upon this suggestion, but the evening dropped so rapidly, and several black clouds piled themselves up in the sky, that Ingestrie, after stepping out upon the balcony and looking at the weather, came back again, and said—
"You had better remain in, all of you. I have seen enough of the sea, and heard enough of the wind, to prophesy that this will be a rough night in the Channel."
"Will there be a storm, Mark?" said Johanna.
"There will be a very good imitation of one, you may depend, if not a real one."
"If there should be," said the colonel, "you will be rather surprised, for, I can tell you, that a gale off this coast is no joke. You would be truly amazed at the violence with which a regular south-western sets upon this shore."
"I can easily imagine it," said Mark Ingestrie, "See, it darkens every minute, and what an angry look that small cloud right away in the horizon has."
"It has, indeed," said Johanna, as she clung to the arm of her husband.
"Do you think, Mark, that any poor souls will be wrecked to-night?"
"Probably enough; but the coast of Suffolk and the Irish Channel will be the worst. It will be child's play here in comparison."
A strange booming noise came across the sea at this moment, and the colonel cried out—
"Is that a gun, or is it thunder?"
"Thunder!" said Ingestrie; "hark! there it is again! There is a storm some forty or fifty miles off. It's right away in the German Ocean, most likely; but only look now even, dark as it is getting, how the sea is rising, and what an odd seathing condition it is getting into."
They all stood on the balcony and looked out towards the sea. The surface of it was to the eye only undulating quite gently, and yet, strange to say, it was rapidly covering with white foam, and that from no perceptible cause, for as yet the wind was a mere trifle.
"How is that?" said Johanna. "The sea is not very rough, and yet it is all white."
"It is the worst sign of bad weather," said Ingestrie. "The commotion has begun below the surface in some mysterious way, and that white foam which you see each moment rapidly increasing is cast up; but soon the whole surface will begin to heave, and then you will find out what a storm is."
"We may hear it," said the colonel; "but if this darkness continues, I doubt very much if we shall be able to bring any other of our senses into requisition upon the occasion."
"Hush!" said Tobias, "what is that?"
He held up his hand as he spoke, and as they were then all profoundly still, a strange, low, wailing sound came over the water.
"What can it be?" said Johanna.