ut rather the angelic or saintly beauty of the medieval. She
was young too, and the bloom and freshness of youth were there
beneath all the sorrow and the grief. More than this, the refined
grace of that face, the nobility of those features, the stamp of high
breeding which was visible in every lineament, showed at once that
she could be no common person. This was no fisherman's wife--no
peasant girl, but some one of high rank and breeding--some one whose
dress proclaimed her station, even if her features had told him
nothing.

"My God!" exclaimed Windham, in bewilderment. "Who is she? How came
she here? What is the meaning of it?"

But there was no time to be lost in wonder or in vague conjectures.
The girl was senseless. It was necessary at once to put her under
careful treatment. For a moment Windham lingered, gazing upon that
sad and exquisite face; and then raising her in his arms, he went
back to the boat. "Give way, lads!" he cried; and the sailors, who
saw it all, pulled with a will. They were soon back again. The
senseless one was lifted into the steamer. Windham carried her in his
own arms to the cabin, and placed her tenderly in a berth, and
committed her to the care of the stewardess. Then he waited
impatiently for news of her recovery.

Obed Chute, however, insisted on going back to the schooner for the
sake of making a general investigation of the vessel. On going on
board he found that she was water-logged. She seemed to have been
kept afloat either by her cargo, or else by some peculiarity in her
construction, which rendered her incapable of sinking. He tore open
the hatchway, and pushing an oar down, he saw that there was no
cargo, so that it must have been the construction of the vessel which
kept her afloat. What that was, he could not then find out. He was
compelled, therefore, to leave the question unsettled for the
present, and he took refuge in the thought that the one who was
rescued might be able to solve the mystery. This allayed for a time
his eager curiosity. But he determined to save the schooner, so as to
examine it afterward at his leisure. A hasty survey of the cabins,
into which he plunged, showed nothing whatever, and so he was
compelled to postpone this for the present. But he had a line made
fast between the steamer and the schooner, and the latter was thus
towed all the way to Marseilles. It showed no signs of sinking, but
kept afloat bravely, and reached the port of destination