A wail from Miss Leslie roused the Englishman out of a dream in which he had been swimming for life across a sea of boiling oil. He sat up and gazed about him, half dazed. The cyclone had been followed by a dead calm, and the sun, already well above the horizon, was blazing upon them over the glassy surfaces of the dying swells with fierce heat.
Winthrope felt about for his hat. It had been blown off when, at the striking of the steamer, he had rushed up on deck. As he remembered, he straightened, and looked at his companions. Blake lay snoring where he had first outstretched himself, sleeping the sleep of the just–and of the drunkard. The girl, however, was already awake. She sat with her hands clasped in her lap, while the tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.
“My–ah–dear Miss Genevieve, what is the matter?” exclaimed Winthrope.
“Matter? Do you ask, when we are here on this wretched coast, and may not get away for weeks? Oh, I did so count on the London season this year! Lady Bayrose promised that I should be among those presented.”
“Well, I–ah–fancy, Lady Bayrose will do no more presenting–unless it may be to the heavenly choir, you know.”
“Why, what do you mean, Mr. Winthrope? You told me that she and the maids had been put in the largest boat–”
“My dear Miss Genevieve, you must remember that I am a diplomat. It was all quite sufficiently harrowing, I assure you. They were, indeed, put into the largest boat–Beastly muddle!–While they waited for the mate to fetch you, the boat was crushed alongside, and all in it drowned.”
“Drowned!–drowned! Oh, dear Lady Bayrose! And she’d travelled so much–oh, oh, it is horrible! Why did she persuade me to visit the Cape? It was only to be with her–And then for us to start off for India, when we might have sailed straight to England! Oh, it is horrible! horrible! And my maid, and all–It cannot be possible!”
“Pray, do not excite yourself, my dear Miss Genevieve. Their troubles are all over. Er–Gawd has taken them to Him, you know.”
“But the pity of it! To be drowned–so far from home!”