in their efforts, the water again
rapidly gained on us.

Miss Alice, being of no assistance to them, came and stood by me to help
me to steer the ship, which, I assured her, was very kind of her.

As all danger appeared past, and the sun shone forth bright and warm,
her spirits revived. Her voice was very sweet and low, and I thought
that I had never heard anything more musical.

"What is your name, little officer?" she asked, putting her hands on the
spokes of the wheel, and imitating my attitude as I stood on the other
side of it.

"Neil D'Arcy, little lady," I answered, not quite liking the epithet she
bestowed on me.

"Oh, I so much wished to know it; for papa and I are so very, very
grateful to you for coming to save our lives, and we can never thank you
enough," said she.

"Oh, I have done nothing at all to be thanked for; I wish that I had," I
replied. "I wouldn't mind any trouble or danger to serve you; and I
would go right round the world for your sake, that I would."

"It's very kind of you to say so," said Miss Alice. "And I know that I
shall like you some day very much--indeed I do so now--for the service
you have been to us; but tell me, Mr Neil D'Arcy, are you a captain of
a ship?"

"No, I am a midshipman," I replied, modestly.

"Is a midshipman higher than a captain?" she inquired, innocently.

"Sometimes; when he's mast-headed," I answered. This seemed to satisfy
her; and I, not wishing to be lowered in her estimation, was anxious to
change the subject. I therefore said, "It seems very odd that though
I've been on board so many hours, and seem to be so well acquainted with
you, I do not know where you have come from, or how you got into this
terrible plight."

"Oh, I will tell you all about it, then," she replied. "You must know
that papa has been a great merchant in the Brazils, where we have lived
almost since I can remember. Dear mamma died there; and if it had not
been for my sake, I believe papa would have died too. You cannot tell
how fond he is of me, for I have no brothers or sisters, and there was
no one else in that country for him to love. At last the doctor told
him he must come to England, so he took a passage in this ship, which is
called the _Poictiers_. There were some other passengers, and I had an
old black nurse to take care of me. At first we had fine weather, and
things seemed to go pretty well; but, sad to say, the captain was a very
tipsy man, and we, I bel