Muriel, turning round to look at Edgar, saw he was unconscious. She was accustomed to sailing-boats, and, having placed her jacket under Edgar’s head, she steered with one hand and guided the sail with the other. The boat sped along in the direction of the Cuzco, whose lights were seen shining in the distance.
Muriel Wylde sat watching Edgar, and when she thought over their night’s adventures, she was thankful they had escaped with life. Edgar was a handsome young fellow, and Muriel Wylde felt her heart beat fast as she looked at him. They had been good friends on board during the voyage, and Edgar’s mates had chaffed him about ‘pretty Miss Wylde.’ Her mother had noticed her daughter’s partiality for Edgar’s society, and did not discourage it, as she had taken a fancy to the young fellow.
Before they reached the steamer, Muriel Wylde left the stern of the boat for a moment to attend to Edgar. As she bent over him, he opened his eyes and looked into her face, which was very near to his own. Their eyes met, and they suddenly felt that something had been revealed to each of them.
Edgar took Muriel Wylde’s hands, and drew her towards him. She did not resist, and when he kissed her she was not surprised or startled. It seemed a fitting climax to the dangers they had passed through.
So lost were they in each other, although neither spoke, they did not notice they were close to the Cuzco. A loud ‘Ahoy!’ from the deck roused them, and in a few minutes they were alongside the steamer, and friendly hands were assisting them up the gangway.
CHAPTER XXIV.
HOME AGAIN.
Their adventures at Ismailia formed the subject of conversation for several days between Edgar and Muriel Wylde. With her mother’s consent, Muriel accepted Edgar’s offer of marriage, and when the engagement became known on board they were regarded with romantic interest by the passengers. The remainder of the voyage proved uneventful. Muriel Wylde and her mother left the steamer at Naples, and proceeded overland to London, but Edgar remained on board with the team.
On arriving at Tilbury, the eleven received a hearty welcome from a large number of influential cricketers and lovers of the game. To Edgar, all this was as nothing to the joy he felt at meeting his father and Doris again.
Elm Lodge looked much the same as when he went away, and the old home was so peaceful that Edgar began to wonder how he had ever made up his mind to leave it. He had much to relate to his father and sister, and, needless to say, Will Brown entertained Doris in a manner agreeable to that young lady.
The wreck of the Distant Shore was described again, and Robert Foster noticed with pride how modestly Edgar spoke of the part he took in saving Eva.