for a death which came not was ended. "I feared I should never see you
again. Is the ship lost?"

The wild soughing of the wind rendered her words indistinct. And the
captain had no time for explanations.

"In here!" he shouted to Gray, who had helped Isobel to enter the
chart-room, the first refuge available on this exposed deck.

"Sharp with it!" he thundered, when Isobel was unwilling to face the
storm again. The men took their cue from his imperative tone. Gray
clasped Isobel in his arms and lifted her bodily through the doorway.
The others followed his example. Soon the three women were with Elsie
in the cabin. Isobel, by sheer reaction from her previous hysteria,
was sullen now, and heedless of all considerations save her own misery.
When she set eyes on Elsie she snapped out:

"You here!"

"Yes. Captain Courtenay brought me to his cabin after our return from
the fore saloon."

"Oh, did he? And he left me with those devils beneath!"

They both heard Courtenay's hurried order:

"Leave the ladies here until we can come for them. Follow me at once."

The door slammed behind the men. Even the missionary was fired to
action by Courtenay's manner. Elsie helped Mrs. Somerville to a chair.
Then she turned to Isobel, and said gently:

"It is a slight thing to discuss when any moment may be our last, but
the captain placed me here while he went to bring you. He had gone
only a few seconds when the ship struck."

The crest of a wave combed over the upper works and pounded the solid
beams and planks of the cabin until they creaked. The ship lifted
somewhat as the sea enveloped her.

"Oh, this is awful!" shrieked Isobel. "If I must die, let me die
quickly. I shall go mad."

"Calm yourself, dear. There must be an end of our sufferings soon.
Perhaps we may escape even yet."

"Yes, I know. If any one is saved it will be you. You left me down
there to take my chance among those fiends. You have been here hours,
with your precious captain, no doubt. Were he looking after his ship
this might not have happened. . . . Why did I ever come on this
wretched vessel? And with you, who ran away from Ventana! I should
have been warned by it. When he could work me no other evil he sent
you. . . . Oh, you have taken a fine vengeance, Pedro Ventana! May
you be denied mercy as I am denied it now! . . . Go away! If you
touch me I shall strike you. I hate you! I tell you I am losing my
senses. Do