" replied the youth modestly but firmly.

"Bless the Lord!" said the diver in a low tone as he grasped Edgar's
hand, while he bowed his head for a moment.

Presently he looked up, and seemed about to resume the subject of
conversation when Edgar interrupted him--

"Have you seen or heard anything of Aileen since I left?"

"Nothing, except that she's been somewhat out of sorts, and her father
has sent her up to London for a change."

"Has he gone to London with her?"

"No, I believe not; he's taken up a good deal wi' the cargo o' this
ship, and comes down to see us now and then, but for the most part he
remains at home attendin' to business."

"Have you spoken to him about raising the hull of the ship?"

"Not yet. He evidently thinks the thing impossible--besides, I wanted
to hear your opinion on the matter before sayin' anything about it."

"Well, come, let us go into it at once," said the youth, turning to the
sheets of paper before him and taking up a pencil. "You see, Baldwin,
this trip of mine as second engineer has been of good service to me in
many ways, for, besides becoming practically acquainted with everything
connected with marine engines, I have acquired considerable knowledge of
things relating to ships in general, and am all the more able to afford
you some help in this matter of raising the ship. I've been studying a
book written by a member of the firm whose dresses you patronise, [Note.
`_The Conquest of the Sea_', by Henry Siebe.] which gives a thorough
account in detail of everything connected with diving, and in it there
is reference to the various modes that have hitherto been successful in
the raising of sunken vessels."

"I've heard of it, but not seen it," said Baldwin. "Of course I know
somewhat about raisin' ships, havin' once or twice lent a hand, but I've
no head for engineerin'. What are the various modes you speak of?
_That's_ not one of 'em, is it?"

He pointed, with a grave smile as he spoke, to the outline of a female
head which Edgar had been absently tracing on the paper.

"Well, no," replied the youth, scribbling out the head, "that's not one
of Siebe and Gorman's appliances, and yet I venture to prophesy that
that head will have a good deal to do with the raising of the _Seagull_!
However, don't let's waste more time. Here you are. The first
method,--that of putting empty casks in the hold so as to give the hull
a floating tendency, and then mooring lighters over