‘Yes, yes!’ whispered Iris convulsively, clinging to her, ‘take me away at once--take me to bed.’ Maggie saw she was on the point of breaking down, and looked round for the cause. Her eyes fell on Vernon Blythe, sheepishly watching them both. ‘What have _you_ been a-saying to her?’ she demanded curtly. ‘Nothing--nothing, Maggie!’ sobbed Iris. ‘I hope, indeed,’ said Vernon, ‘that I have not offended Miss Douglas by my offers of assistance. They were made with the best intentions, I can assure you.’ ‘Yes, yes! I know--’ gasped Iris; ‘but I’m tired--and--and a little faint, and I’d rather go to bed.’ ‘She’s overdone--that’s where it is, sir,’ explained Maggie, as she cuddled Iris’s head to her bosom, ‘and the sooner she’s asleep the better. Come along, my pretty!’ and she half led, half dragged Iris into No. 12. She went without even bidding Jack a formal good-night. He felt a little mortified when he thought of it, but, after all, what was Miss Douglas to him? He rose up, and went whistling out of the cabin as she disappeared; but he thought more than once of the mysterious second-class passenger before they met again. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER X. GOOD-BYE TO ENGLAND. The sun shone brightly on the dark, turbid waters of the Indian Docks, making the binnacles sparkle like burnished gold, under the influence of his rays. The Blue Peter floated gaily at the fore royal masthead of the _Pandora_, and all was in readiness to receive the pilot. The decks were cleared up, and the hatches battened down. The anchors were hanging in their tackles, the cables were overhauled over the windlass and ranged along the deck, and innumerable lines and warps were coiled down, all ready to be paid out into the boat. Punctual to time, a short, dark man in blue uniform stepped aboard, and having exchanged salutations with the captain, took his place upon the bridge and gave the order to ‘Slack away for’ard,’ and as the shellbacks tramped around the capstan aft, the _Pandora_ moved slowly away from the quay. Then, after a great deal of shouting--of paying out warps, and hauling them in--of encroaching upon the kindness of the captains of other vessels by asking them to ‘make fast’ and ‘let go,’ the _Pandora_ reached the dockhead, where she was slewed round, and a tug caught hold of her hawser.