My Danish Sweetheart, Volume 3 of 3

ern had we chosen to read it, but the mate was too busy with his board and I with my temper to note the letters, and Helga did not think of doing so, and thus it was tha

on when he addressed Helga or directed his eyes at her. On his first joi

fered us to lose

he answered, 'makes me so happy tha

her blue eyes glittered, her

the scorn her tender soul was capable of, and her pensive, pretty fac

ture that cannot be held in a new posi

complacency. 'He is still on board, my dear young lady, with a character in essentials unchanged, merely enlarged.' Here he spread his fingers upon his breast, and expanded his waistcoat, looking at her in a very knowing sort of way, with

ck, with a lip lightly curled by disgust, and I stepped aft under a pretence to look at the compa

road-bowed barque rolled sleepily, but with much creaking of her rheumatic bones, upon a long-drawn polished swell flowing out of the nor

ould address himself in tones of loverlike coaxing if she happened to say No to his entreaties to her to drink a little wine, to try a slice of ham, and the like. He begged us to make ourselves tho

brightly down upon the Light of the World as upon the most stately ship afloat, the ocean breeze will taste as sweetly over my bulwark-rails as on the bridge of the gallantest man-of-war that flies the crimson cross;' and thus he went on vapouring as usual i

together. But he did not seem to heed my manner in the least; I could swear, indeed, that he did not observe it. He was wholly engrossed in contemplation of Helga, and in the e

read a few pages aloud. She could not refuse, and I see that extraordinary shipmaster now, standing under the lamp, holding the portly volume up with both hands, smiling upon the page, pausing at intervals to look over the top of the

than to hear the rich, noble, impressive words of this great

hich I could notice a growing air in him that was a distinct intimation, in its way,

weariness and dismay,

se than the

laimed, 'that I feel pe

he may rejoin us. How tragical it al

d over my shoulder to see if he was following us-than which I can r

was some little lightning, of a delicate shade of violet, in the north-east, which, indeed, would have been no noticeable thing down in this part of the world but for the mountainous heaping of cloud it revealed, a black sullen mass stretching along the sea-line in that quarter, and putting a hue as of ink into the dusk which swept in glit

as though carved in ebony, faintly touched by the sheen of the binnacle lamp. I was in no humour to converse with the boatman. His stupid talk that afternoon in

advise, scheme as we might, it could only come to this: that if the Captain declined to part with us, then, unless the men took our side and insisted on putting us aboard a passing ship, we must stop. But if the crew took o

Malays to befriend us was in my

to be done. I had a short talk with Nakier to-day, and there was that in his questions an

a,' said she; 'and what would men l

le, Helga. But are we to

tention of putting int

intend that you shall pass week after week wi

blackness forward for some hands to clew up the fore and main

-night, Mr. Tregarthen,

ming from, too,' I replied, not know

sional sob of water and the beating of canvas hollowing into the mast to the roll of the fabric, w

led Abraham; 'and the rest of ye lay

he fellows should under

nstantly halting, and then recoiling in a

e vaguely visible in the dim radiance sifting t

oud down there.' His shadowy form stepped to the binnacle, into which he peered a moment. 'I think, Wise,' said he-and, to use a Paddyism, I could see the man's fixed an

thumping heavily on the fore hatch, topping the blows wi

said, 'will end in making that

a, 'and is behaving so as to make sure that the tw

might have sighted that steamer of to-day and be now

ed, in tones impassioned by regre

pressing it. She drew closer to me, with a movement care

l, never coming farther forward than the companion-hatch, while we kept at the oth

th parrot-like cries. The lightning had ceased, but the darkness was fast deepening, and overhead the stars were beginning to languish in the projected

me will happen on

it-to intimidate the fellow into releasing us by obliging him to understand that he had already gone a very great deal too far. There was much noise on deck; Mr. Jones was bawling from the forecastle, and Abraham from the waist, and the songs of the Malays might easily have passed for the cries of people writhing in pain. Apparently the Captain was alarmed by the indications of the glass and the look of the weather in the north-

l when he forgets

le that he swears a

ellow would make me feel almo

never could be natural for an

e of a shower of rain. Helga seemed to be able to follow what

y are stowing the mainsail, she would say, giving the canvas its proper names, and looking at me with a lit

unce the strange, uncouth language of the sea; but guard your lips befo

he light of the smile going out of her eyes, and her

irl do that will not heighten the passion

denly droop of her eyelids; 'but do not speak of m

ich were now at nine, 'the road to Kolding gets longer and longer. But we shall measure it-we sh

her stood by my side last night; I felt his kiss-oh, Hugh! it was colder than the salt water

ar voice, and, looking up, I spied the long whiskers and smiling coun

less, and with a hardening of her countenance that I should have

ed and nearly ready for the affray. I am grieved not to be able to join you, Miss Nielsen. It is necessary that I sho

in genteel accents, for Helga was now listening, and he knew it, to Abraham to send Punm

nd, whatever may happen, pray slumber securely, for I shall be watching the ship-may I entreat you to occupy M

accommodation, thank you,' she

sider no more than an enchanting girlish capriciousness, and adding, 'Well

a spirit, and with the gliding movements that

using our friend's larder. You asked just now what will sicken him. Let

g, sah,' he answere

upon the table. Have you noth

is win

oor wine too. Ha

n hab some choice b

uick, like a good fellow as you are, to serve the food b

skylight, following it on with a short-lived l

d the cloth and put ham, salt beef, bi

that cor

he whiskers to the open

ga, this repast is of your ordering? What have you there, Punmeamoot

I called out i

with a trifle of asperity in his speech. 'It is a fin

o answer, an

said I, with a laugh. 'Now, Helga, to punish him, if

vidity, not doubting that we should be furtively surveyed from time to time by the Captain, who could peep at us unseen without trouble as he passed the skylight, and who could very well ov

andy-and-water, and exc

hen here's to the safest and swiftest passage this crazy old bucket i

stood looking on wi

nts that might have been heard upon the forecastle. 'Ano

ook care by my posture to persuade an eye surveyi

d if you can find a cigar I shall fee

n?' exclaimed the Captain, bend

swered haughtily and coldly. 'Pun

in's head

Capt'n him keep his ci

s cabin!' s

lation in his eyes that borrowed a quality of fierceness from the singularly keen gleam

' she

sound resembling the low moa

wind goes to the making

ts blinding bluish glare. A small shock of thunder followed. I heard the Captain cry out

houted the Captain down the companionwa

be rain?'

that had now gathered a deeper and a more thrilling note, mingled with the wild sobbing in the scuppers, and a melancholy hissing of wet as the water on the quarter-deck splashed from side to side to the light rolling of the barque. Yet fully another five minutes passed in quie

ve that for the space of some twenty or thirty seconds the barque lay completely on her beam ends, as much so as if she were bilged h

f the table, which Punmeamootty had not yet removed. The full mess of it came headlong about me with a mighty smash; the beef, the ham, the bottle of brandy, now shivered into a tho

ied

twenty-four-pounder gun. 'There goes a sail!' I shouted. The vessel found life on being relieved of the canvas, whatever it was; there was a gradual recovery of her hull, and presently she was on a level keel

e blackness on either hand outside, rising from the foam, of which the ocean was now one vast field. I mounted the poop-ladder, but was blinded in a moment by the violence