him out of her despair. The deep sea lay between; her presence was a
mystery; but there seemed a sort of connection between him and her
as though invisible yet resistless Fate had shown them to one
another, and brought him here to help and to save. It needed but an
instant for all these thoughts to flash through his mind. In an
instant he flew below and roused the captain, to whom in a few
hurried words he explained what had occurred.

The captain, who was dressed, hurried up and looked for himself. But
by this time the steamer had moved away much further, and the captain
could not see very distinctly any thing more than the outline of a
boat.

"Oh, it's only a fishing-boat," said he, with an air of indifference.

"Fishing-boat! I tell you it is an English yacht," said Windham,
fiercely. "I saw it plainly. The sails were down. It was
water-logged. A woman was standing by the foremast."

The captain looked annoyed.

"It looks to me," said he, "simply like some heavily laden schooner."

"But I tell you she is sinking, and there is a woman on board," said
Windham, more vehemently than ever.

"Oh, it's only some Neapolitan fish-wife."

"You must turn the steamer, and save her," said Windham, with savage
emphasis.

"I can not. We shall be behind time."

"Damn time!" roared Windham, thoroughly roused. "Do you talk of time
in comparison with the life of a human being? If you don't turn the
steamer's head, _I_ will."

"You!" cried the captain, angrily. "Damn it! if it comes to that, I'd
like to see you try it. It's mutiny."

Windham's face grew white with suppressed indignation.

"Turn the steamer's head," said he, in stern cold tones, from which
every trace of passion had vanished. "If you don't, I'll do it
myself. If you interfere, I'll blow your brains out. As it is, you'll
rue the day you ever refused. Do you know who I am?"

He stepped forward, and whispered in the captain's ear some words
which sent a look of awe or fear into the captain's face. Whether
Windham was the president of the company, or some British embassador,
or one of the Lords of the Admiralty, or any one else in high
authority, need not be disclosed here. Enough to say that the captain
hurried aft, and instantly the steamer's head was turned.

As for Windham, he took no further notice of the captain, but all his
attention was absorbed by the boat. It seemed water-logged, yet still
it was certainly not sinking, for as the steamer drew nea