to my comprehension.

"Mr Conyers will acquaint you with his decision in due time, when he
has had leisure for reflection," said she, in those haughtily scornful
tones of hers that I remembered so well. Then I felt and yielded to the
pressure of her guiding hand, and presently found myself groping my way,
with her assistance, down the companion ladder and into the cabin. She
guided me to one of the sofa-lockers, upon which I mechanically seated
myself; and then I saw her go to the swinging rack and pour out a good
stiff modicum of brandy, which she brought and held to my lips. I
swallowed the draught, and after a few seconds my senses returned to me,
almost as though I were recovering from a swoon, Miss Onslow assisting
my recovery by seating herself beside me and fanning me with her
pocket-handkerchief, gazing anxiously in my face the while.

"There, you are better now!" she exclaimed encouragingly, as she
continued to regard me. "Oh, Mr Conyers," she continued, "I am so
_very_ sorry to see you thus. But I am not surprised, after all the
hardship, and anxiety, and hard work that you have been called upon to
endure since the wreck of the unfortunate _City of Cawnpore_. What you
have so bravely borne has been more than sufficient to undermine the
health of the strongest man; and now, when we hoped that a few hours
more would bring us to the end of our troubles, comes the cruel shock
and disappointment of these wretches' base ingratitude to complete what
hardship, anxiety, and suffering have begun. But cheer up; all is not
yet lost, by any means; our deliverance is merely deferred until you
shall have carried out the wishes of these men; therefore, since we have
no alternative, let us accept the inevitable with a good grace--do what
they require as speedily as may be, and so bring this unfortunate
adventure to an end. And," she continued, after a barely perceptible
pause, "have no anxiety on my account; O'Gorman and his accomplices will
not molest me if you will but conform to their wishes. And, if they
_should_, I shall be prepared for them: `Fore-warned is fore-armed'!"

You may imagine how deeply ashamed of myself and of my late weakness I
felt as I listened to the heroic words of this delicately-nurtured girl,
who had known nothing either of danger, privation, or hardship until
this frightful experience of all three had come to her with the wreck of
the ship which was to have conveyed her to her father's arm