"This is not the sort of welcome I thought to give you on board, dear," he said, as he helped Bertha on deck, and went down the companion with her.
Anna burst into exclamations of dismay at seeing the dripping figures.
"We have had an accident, Anna," Frank said, cheerfully, "but I don't think that we are any the worse for it. Please take your mistress aft and get her into dry things at once.
"Steward, open one of those bottles of champagne, and give me half a tumbler full."
He hurried after the others with it.
"Please drink this at once, Bertha," he said. "Yes, you shall have some tea directly, but start with this. It will soon put you in a glow. Oh! yes, I am going to have one, too; but a ducking is no odds to me."
Then he ran up on deck.
"You have saved my life again, George, for that scoundrel would have drowned us both."
"I saw the knife in his hand as you went down, and knew that you wanted me more than Miss—I mean Mrs. Mallett did."
"How did you make him let go so quickly?"