l?" prompted Mr. Orban.

"Then she took me up, and we jumped overboard. I don't know what
happened next."

"Try to think," said Bob in a hard voice.

"I can't," said Peter; "everything was noise and blackness. Ask
Aunt Dorothy; she'll tell you."

There was a solemn hush--so solemn that Peter stared round in
amazement at the grave faces. Bob turned and walked heavily out of
the room. Nesta buried her head in her hands.

"Why, what's the matter?" asked Peter sharply.

He had to be told then, and he wept as if his heart would break;
but he could remember nothing after the jump into the sea. It
appeared that he was all by himself at the other side of the ship,
very unhappy because he thought it was all his fault Becky had been
hurt. Then came the crash, and he was terrified. He was wondering
what had happened, when Aunt Dorothy came running towards him,
crying, "Peter, Peter, where are you?" And then followed the
putting on of the life-belt. It was so easy to picture her talking
to him all the time, to reassure him, in that quick, cheery way of
hers.

"O Eustace," Nesta said afterwards, "wasn't she splendid? I guess
Bob must be sorry he teased her so now."

"Pooh," said Eustace, "that was only his fun. Aunt Dorothy knew
it."

But Nesta could not stand teasing herself, and was sure no one
liked or understood it.

"I don't know," she said; "she used to get red sometimes. And I'm
not so sure Bob did mean it all in chaff. He has a real
down-on-anything-English. I mean to ask him some day what he thinks
of English girls' pluck now."

"If you do," said Eustace, with sudden ferocity, "I'll never speak
to you again."

Nesta stared at him in dismay.

"Why ever?" she asked dully. "Wouldn't he like to talk about her?
Didn't he like her, really?"

"Like her!" Eustace exclaimed. "Oh, you little stupid! Didn't you
see him when Peter was telling us about her? Didn't you hear Bob
then? Can't you understand?"

Nesta stared in blank silence for some seconds.

"Oh, I say!" she gasped, "I didn't know! I never thought of that!
I--I wasn't looking at him."

"I wasn't looking at anything else," said Eustace; "but I guess he
wouldn't like to think any one knew, so we must hold our tongues.
But I couldn't have you going and asking him blundering questions."

"I won't," said Nesta, with unwonted meekness. "When did you
guess?"

"Only then," said Eustace; "but now I can remember lots of things.
Bob always liked talking to