‘Now, Miss Temple,’ cried the lieutenant. ‘Help me to steady the lady, Mr. Dugdale. Stand by, two of you men there, to receive her.’
Miss Temple set her lips, and her eyes were on fire with anger and fear. ‘I shall not be able to enter that boat,’ said she.
‘Oh, madam, be persuaded,’ cried the lieutenant, speaking irritably out of his clear perception of the danger of delay and of the peril of passing her into the cutter. ‘Mr. Dugdale, take Miss Temple’s arm.’
She shrank back, with a firmer grip of the deck-house, against which she had set her shoulder to steady herself. ‘You will kill me!’ she cried.
‘Mr. Dugdale,’ exclaimed the lieutenant wildly, ‘for God’s sake, jump into the boat, that Miss Temple may see how easily it is to be done. I must be the last to leave.’
‘Let Mr. Colledge jump first,’ said I. ‘I may probably be more useful to you and the lady than he.’
‘Jump, Mr. Colledge!’ cried the lieutenant.
The young fellow went to the edge of the deck. ‘I shall break my neck,’ he shouted; ‘I shall fall into the sea; I shall be drowned.’
‘No, sir! no, sir!’ roared one of the seamen; ‘jump as the boat lifts; we’ll catch you.’
‘Now!’ cried the lieutenant.