dney Green, who ministered to both, in his
capacity of amateur ship doctor, with strict though unconscious
impartiality.

Derrick was not of the susceptible genus, and, if he had been, he was
too much driven by the incessant work to spare time for even the mildest
flirtation. Besides, whenever he found time for thought, his mind always
went back to a certain room in Brown's Buildings, far away in London, to
a girl's face looking down at him from over the balustrade. He thought
of her only; scarcely once had his mind wandered from her to Miriam, the
girl he had loved, the girl for whom he had sacrificed himself.
Sometimes, when he put his hand in his breast pocket, he could feel the
five-pound note; and whenever he did so, back came the scene, and his
heart grew warm.

The bad weather lasted for a week; then the storm abated, the sea grew
calmer, and one morning the invalids began to crawl up to the deck.

Derrick, busy with the horses, some of which had suffered terribly,
paused for a moment and looked at the wretched folk as they emerged from
the companion-way. One of them was Alice Merton, and he was moved to
such pity by the sight of her white face and evident weakness that he
put down his curry-comb and brush and went to help her. Her face was
flooded with colour as she raised her piteous blue eyes to him, and her
hand shook as he drew it through his arm.

"You'll be as right as a trivet--I don't know what a trivet is, by the
way--before very long," he assured her. "It's wonderful how you pull
round, especially in such air as this. Here, I'll rig up a little nest
against the warm side. That's what you want--warmth."

"You're very good to me," she faltered. "But you're good to everyone,
and we all know how busy you are."

"That's all right," he said, cheerfully. "Nothing like plenty of work."

While he was making the nest, the tall, supple figure of Isabel Devigne
came on deck; she too was weak, but she walked firmly and held her head
erect. At sight of Derrick and his employment she also coloured, a rich,
passionate red, and she drew a long breath, her white, even teeth
clenched tightly. Informed by the direction of Alice's eyes, Derrick
turned and saw the other girl.

"Plenty of room, Miss Devigne," he said, cheerfully. "You two snuggle up
together; keep each other warm. Halloa! here we are. Let 'em all come,"
he added, as a cry of welcome and joy rose from the children, who
appeared now and rushed at him