"Hear what?" she gasped, now thoroughly alarmed.
The man put out his hand deprecatingly.
"Oh, it's nothing to make madame afraid. It will soon be all right. I assure madame——"
"But tell me what it is, will you?" she interrupted impatiently. "Don't have so much to say—tell me what it is——"
"It was when the ship caught fire, madame. We were running to ze life-boat, monsieur and me, when suddenly——"
"Well—what?" she almost shouted, in agony of suspense.
"Monsieur tripped over a coil of rope and fell——"
Almost unconscious in her excitement of what she was doing Helen laid her hand on the man's arm. Terror-stricken she cried:
"He didn't hurt himself seriously, did he?"
The valet shook his head.