He brought his eyes slowly to hers with a blank look that caused her to repeat her question.
Whereupon he answered: "The heavy working of the ship in the small hours has caused her to start a butt or hidden end."
"She is leaking?"
He answered: "Yes, my child."
"Can the leak be stopped?" she asked, encouraged to these questions by my glances.
"No, 'tis below her water-line. But it does not gain. Continuous pumping keeps the water level. We shall have to careen to get at the leak."
"Are we sailing to the coast?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered.