. "You--you must not--shall not say a
word to Hugh. I forbid you--I--"

"Why are you so agitated? Why am I not to speak to him? He is
fair-minded, and I know he likes me."

"You don't know what it would mean to me. There is something you do not
know. No, no! You shall not speak to Hugh." It was her turn to command,
and he wavered.

"Your will is the law which I obey. He shall not know--not now, at
least," he said. "There are to be but two factions in the struggle,
then, your love against mine."

"You forget the--the other man," she said, sudden tears springing to her
eyes.

"I think only of one woman," he said softly, lovingly.

She leaned wearily against the staircase, her hands clasping the
railing. There was a piteous, hopeless entreaty in the dimming eyes as
she turned them to his and tried to speak calmly.

"I have something to say to you--to-morrow. Let us say good-night."

"Nothing you can say will alter my love. When the storm to-night is at
its worst remember that I will give my life for your sake."

She did not answer, but her hand clasped his arm impulsively. In the
doorway they met Hamilton and Gregory, just from the captain, their
faces white and fear-stricken. Hugh and Lady Huntingford were hurrying
toward them.

CHAPTER XV

THE WRECK OF THE "TEMPEST QUEEN"

"What's wrong?" asked Veath, alarmed by the agitation of the two
soldiers.

"Captain Shadburn estimates that we are two hundred miles out of our
course, away to the south. It's impossible to get our bearings without
the sun, and the Lord only knows where we're running to," said Hamilton,
holding to the door casing.

Hugh and Lady Huntingford had joined the others by this time and were
listening with blanched faces to the men in uniform.

"It's as black as ink outside," said little Lieutenant Gregory,
shivering in a manner most unbecoming in a soldier. "As long as they
can keep the boat out of the trough we'll ride the waves safely, but the
deuced danger lies in the reefs and little islands. We may be dashing
into one of them at this minute."

"You're a cheerful hero," cried Hugh indignantly. "What's the use of
imagining a thing like that? It's time enough to think about it when we
strike the reef; and, besides, it can't help us any to cry. We can't
leave the ship for a walk back to dry land. We're here to see the thing
to the end, no matter where it is, and I don't believe in howling before
we're hurt."

"That's right," agre