to
lose." There was an anxious, warning note in the rough voice.

"You must go now," said Coxeter heavily. "I shall be all right, Mrs.
Archdale," for she was making no movement forward. "There'll be plenty
of room for the men in the next boat. I'd walk across the deck with you,
but I'm afraid they won't allow that." He spoke in his usual
matter-of-fact, rather dry tone, and Nan looked up at him doubtingly.
Did he really wish her to leave him?

Flickering streaks of light fell on his face. It was convulsed with
feeling,--with what had become an agony of renunciation. She withdrew
her eyes, feeling a shamed, exultant pang of joy. "I'll wait till
there's room for you, too, Mr. Coxeter." She breathed rather than
actually uttered the words aloud.

Another woman standing close by was saying the same thing to her
companion, but in far more eager, more vociferous tones. "Is it likely
that I should go away now and leave you, Bob? Of course not--don't be
ridiculous!" But the Rendels pushed forward, and finally both found
places in this, the last boat but one.

Victor Munich was still standing close to John Coxeter, and Mrs.
Archdale, glancing at his sallow, terror-stricken face, felt a thrill of
generous pity for the man. "Mr. Coxeter," she whispered, "do give him
that life-saver! Did he not ask you for it just now? We don't want it."

Coxeter bent down and unstrapped his portmanteau. He handed to Nan the
odd, toy-like thing by which he had set so little store, but which now
he let go with a touch of reluctance. He saw her move close to the man
whose name she did not know. "Here is the life-saver," she said kindly;
"I heard you say you would like it."

"But you?"--he stammered--"how about you?"

"I don't want it. I shall be all right. I shouldn't put it on in any
case."

He took it then, avidly; and they saw him go forward with a quick,
stealthy movement to the place where the last boat was being got ready
for the water.

"There's plenty of room for you and the lady now, sir!" Coxeter hurried
Nan across the deck, but suddenly they were pushed roughly back. The
rope barriers had been cut, and a hand-to-hand struggle was taking place
round the boat,--an ugly scrimmage to which as little reference as
possible was made at the wreck inquiry afterwards. To those who looked
on it was a horrible, an unnerving sight; and this time Coxeter with
sudden strength took Nan back into his arms. He felt her trembling,
shuddering agai