thering it in
whirling and blowing foam and spray, she would swing upright and, with a
lift of her stern and an easy weather roll, go sliding down into the
trough beyond, her head paying off as she did so. And although she was
still under bare poles, with her head yards aback, I could see, upon
looking over the side, that she was forging ahead at a speed of about a
knot and a half.

But although the wind was no longer blowing with hurricane force it
still had the strength of a heavy gale, and while a reference to the
barometer showed that the mercury had begun to rise, there was no other
sign of improvement in the weather. The sky was almost as black and
threatening in its aspect as ever, with innumerable shreds and tatters
of dirty whitish-grey cloud sweeping athwart at a speed that made one
giddy to look at; while there could be no question that the sea was
gathering height, weight, and volume with the passage of every minute.
The air was still heavily charged with flying spume and spindrift,
necessitating the use of oilskins and sou'westers, and keeping our
spars, rigging, and decks streaming; but we could see with tolerable
clearness for at least a mile in every direction.

Yet although the general feeling out on deck was one of dampness and
discomfort, we had not the added misery of cold to deal with. On the
contrary, it was so warm that shortly after I went on deck, having
breakfasted, I felt my long oilskin coat and sea boots so uncomfortably
warm that I presently slipped below again for a moment, and, removing
them and my socks, donned a short oilskin jacket and returned to the
deck barefooted, for the sake of the greater comfort. I took it for
granted that Miss Anthea would never dream of turning out in such
weather, while I felt sure that Mrs Vansittart would excuse me, under
the circumstances, the more so as she had often before come on deck
while we were paddling about, barelegged, washing decks. And indeed
when, shortly afterward, she emerged through the companion way, encased
in a thin mackintosh reaching to the hem of her dress, and with a light
sou'-wester on her head which in nowise detracted from her good looks,
she at once set me at my ease by laughingly complimenting me upon the
sensible character of my attire. Then, in a very different tone of
voice, she thanked me for having come to her rescue on the previous
night when, overcome by the terrific buffeting of the hurricane, she had
swooned w