t the deck. It was a
miracle we lost no men."

"And how is it that you are home so quickly?"

"I took the first train from Yarmouth, and wired for a special from the
junction. I knew that my mother would be anxious, and they told me that
there was very little chance of telegrams being delivered safely; so
much damage had been done to the wires."

"You thought of no one but your mother?" I whispered, a little
reproachfully.

"My darling! how was I to know that any one else cared?"

"Ah!"

The sense of relief in my heart was over-powering, I seemed to have no
desire for speech. The sound of his voice was like music to me, and I
preferred to listen.

"It seems to me that I have had no thought save of you, Margharita," he
went on slowly. "In all that storm, when flying clouds and spray and
driving rain shut us in on every side, I thought of nothing else save of
you. No one knows the boat so well as I, and for the last four hours I
was lashed to a board, steering. Margharita, all that time, and all the
time I stood on the bridge, I seemed to see you always. Sometimes it was
the mist of rain and spray which opened to let you through; and
sometimes--sometimes I almost fancied that you were by my side. Think of
you, Margharita! Why, I was a haunted man. In all that thunder of sea
and wind, when I had to use a speaking trumpet to make my men hear me a
few yards away, I could only hear your voice in my ears as distinctly as
you hear me now. They say that when one is in danger, or near death,
that the imagination is quickened. It must have been so with me, for
your presence and the sound of your voice were very real to me."

"How did you find me here?" I asked.

"Well, as soon as I could decently get away from my people, I asked for
you. They sent to your room, and could not find you. Then one of the
servants thought that she had seen you leave the house and come this
way. So I started off in search."

"It was foolish of me to come out. I could not rest indoors."

"Why?" eagerly.

"The storm was so dreadful."

"And so you came out into it. A bad reason. Was there no other?"

"I was anxious, too, I think. I wanted to see what the sea looked like."

"Why were you anxious; what about?"

"Somebody was in danger."

"My darling!"

His lips met mine again. My strength seemed altogether gone. I made no
effort to escape.

"I didn't say who 'somebody' was," I protested weakly.

He laughed gaily.

"But I know."