elene, as you live out of the world, I will have the world
come to you.' But for that I would fling them all overboard."

"But there are others on board, wild, reckless men whose passions--"

"I understand, father," she said smiling. "Do not fear for me. Never
was empress encompassed with more observance than I. The men are very
superstitious; they look upon me as a sort of tutelary genius, the luck
of the vessel. But _he_ is their god; they worship him. Once, and
once only, one of the crew showed disrespect, mere words," she added,
laughing; "but before Victor knew of it, the others flung the offender
overboard, although I forgave him. They love me as their good angel; I
nurse them when they are ill; several times I have been so fortunate as
to save a life, by constant care such as a woman can give. Poor fellows,
they are giants, but they are children at the same time."

"And when there is fighting overhead?"

"I am used to it now; I quaked for fear during the first engagement,
but never since.--I am used to such peril, and--I am your daughter," she
said; "I love it."

"But how if he should fall?"

"I should die with him."

"And your children?"

"They are children of the sea and of danger; they share the life of
their parents. We have but one life, and we do not flinch from it. We
have but one life, our names are written on the same page of the book of
Fate, one skiff bears us and our fortunes, and we know it."

"Do you so love him that he is more to you than all beside?"

"All beside?" echoed she. "Let us leave that mystery alone. Yet stay!
there is this dear little one--well, this too is _he_," and straining
Abel to her in a tight clasp, she set eager kisses on his cheeks and
hair.

"But I can never forget that he has just drowned nine men!" exclaimed
the General.

"There was no help for it, doubtless," she said, "for he is generous and
humane. He sheds as little blood as may be, and only in the interests of
the little world which he defends, and the sacred cause for which he is
fighting. Talk to him about anything that seems to you to be wrong, and
he will convince you, you will see."

"There was that crime of his," muttered the General to himself.

"But how if that crime was a virtue?" she asked, with cold dignity. "How
if man's justice had failed to avenge a great wrong?"

"But a private revenge!" exclaimed her father.

"But what is hell," she cried, "but a revenge through all eternity for
the