"Oh yes, Sir! if you will let me and if I shan't be a trouble to you, Sir."
"Come this way," said he, "and we'll see if we cannot find a nice place to sit down, where no one will trouble us."
Such a place was found. And Ellen would have been quite satisfied though the gentleman had done no more than merely permit her to remain there, by his side; but he took out his little Bible, and read and talked to her for some time so pleasantly that neither her weariness nor the way could be thought of.
When he ceased reading to her, and began to read to himself, weariness and faintness stole over her. She had had nothing to eat, and had been violently excited that day. A little while she sat in a dreamy sort of quietude then her thoughts grew misty and the end of it was she dropped her head against the arm of her friend, and fell fast asleep. He smiled at first, but one look at the very pale little face changed the expression of his own. He gently put his arm round her, and drew her head to a better resting-place than it had chosen.
And there she slept till the dinner-bell rang. Timmins was sent out to look for her, but Timmins did not choose to meddle with the grave protector Ellen seemed to have gained; and Mrs. Dunscombe declared herself rejoiced that any other hands should have taken the charge of her.
After dinner Ellen and her friend went up to the promenade- deck again, and there, for a while, they paced up and down, enjoying the pleasant air and quick motion, and the lovely appearance of everything in the mild hazy sunlight. Another gentleman, however, joining them, and entering into conversation, Ellen silently quitted her friend's hand, and went and sat down at the side of the boat. After taking a few turns more, and while still engaged in talking, he drew his little hymn-book out of his pocket, and, with a smile, put it into Ellen's hand as he passed. She gladly received it, and spent an hour or more very pleasantly, in studying and turning it over. At the end of that time, the stranger having left him, Ellen's friend came and sat down by her side.
"How do you like my little book?" said he.
"Oh, very much indeed, Sir."
"Then you love hymns, do you?"
"Yes, I do Sir, dearly."