knee, sir; we'll take you.' And
they pushed up my father's arm-chair, which had been saved and was
outside, and Rupert sat down, I believe, because he could not stand.
Then they said, 'There's room for you, miss,' and Rupert told me to
come, and I took Baby on my lap; but I felt so ill I thought I should
certainly fall out when they lifted us up.

"The way the people cheered made me very giddy; I think I shall always
feel sick when I hear hurrahing now.

"Rupert is very good if you're ill. He looked at me and said, 'You're
the bravest girl I ever knew, but don't faint if you can help it, or
Baby will fall out.'

"I didn't; and I wouldn't have fainted when we got to the_ Crown _if I
could have stopped myself by anything I could do."_

CHAPTER XVI.

MR. ROWE ON THE SUBJECT--OUR COUSIN--WESTON GETS INTO PRINT--THE
HARBOUR'S MOUTH--WHAT LIES BEYOND.

Mr. Rowe's anxiety to see Rupert and Henrietta, and to "take the
liberty of expressing himself" about their having saved Baby Cecil's
life was very great, but the interview did not take place for some
time. The barge _Betsy_ took two voyages to Nine Elms and home again
before Henrietta was down-stairs and allowed to talk about the fire.

Rupert refused to see the barge-master when he called to ask after
Henrietta; he was vexed because people made a fuss about the affair,
and when Rupert was vexed he was not gracious. When Henrietta got
better, however, she said, "We ought to see old Rowe and thank him for
his kindness to Charlie;" so the next time he called, we all went into
the housekeeper's room to see him.

He was very much pleased and excited, which always seemed to make him
inclined to preach. He set forth the noble motives which must have
moved Rupert and Henrietta to their heroic conduct in the emergency,
so that I felt more proud of them than ever. But Rupert frowned, and
said, "Nonsense, Rowe, I'm sure I never thought anything of the kind.
I don't believe we either of us thought anything at all."

But Mr. Rowe had not served seventeen years in the Royal Navy to be
put down when he expounded a point of valour.

"That's where it is, Master Rupert," said he. "It wouldn't have been
you or Miss Henrietta either if you had. 'A man overboard,' says
you--that's enough for one of your family, sir. _They_ never stops to
think 'Can I swim?' but in you goes, up the stairs that wouldn't hold
the weight of a new-born babby, and right through the raging flames."