et this here craft into harbour, we shall make
a better job of it than of any prize we are ever likely to pick up in
the whole course of our lives; but if she sinks, why, do ye see, we
shall get nothing," he remarked, whenever he saw them inclined to flag
in their exertions; and each time he spoke, the water always seemed to
flow faster than before out of the scuppers.

Our prospect was not a very pleasant one. We had a boat certainly; but
with any sea running she would scarcely carry the remnant of the crew
and passengers; and while the ship floated I would on no account desert
her.

The beams of the sun, as he rose out of the ocean, fell on the little
girl's face. I had fancied her rather pretty at night, but I now
thought her very lovely. While my arms were resting I stood watching
her, when the dazzling light of the sun aroused her from her sleep, and
opening a very bright pair of blue eyes, she fixed them on me with a
look of extreme surprise. It may be laid down as a general rule that a
midshipman, especially an Irish one, does not take a long time to fall
in love, nor, it must be confessed, to fall out again--which latter,
taking all things into consideration, will be considered a very
fortunate circumstance. I, accordingly, instantly conceived a very
ardent affection for Miss Alice Marlow, and felt ready to go right round
the world, and to perform all sorts of prodigies for her sake. She
looked at me, and then around her, as if trying to collect her scattered
senses.

"Where are we--where are we going?" she asked, in a very sweet and
musical voice.

"We are in the Chops of the Channel; and we are going nowhere at
present, but we hope soon to be," I answered. "We must try to rig a
sort of a jury-mast, and if we get a little breeze from the southward,
we may hope to fetch Plymouth."

The idea of getting up a jury-mast had only just occurred to me.

Her voice aroused Mr Marlow. It was pleasant to see the way in which
the father and daughter greeted each other. I left them together,
offering up their thanks to Heaven for having preserved them to see
another day, while I went forward to propound my idea to Jack. He was
about to propose the same to me, the only want being the spars with
which to make the mast. A few remained, certainly, on deck, but they
were short and broken. On putting them, however, together, we found
that we might splice them so as to form a mast and a yard of sufficient
length