“Ah, bedad, yes! sure we’ve got to go somewhere,” wailed Judith; but she got up and lighted the cabin lamps. Meanwhile the commotion on deck increased. Suddenly again the captain’s voice was heard above all other sounds: “Launch the lifeboats!” And the rushing of many feet on the deck increased, mingled with the rushing of many waters around the ship. “Lord betune us and harm, the lifeboats! Mary, star of the say,” and so forth, and so forth, said Judith, wailing lamentations and muttering litanies. “Are we to go on shore in the boats? I thought the ship itself had landed and touched the pier,” said Mrs. Ely, rising to go to her stateroom to put on her bonnet. “Well, I suppose we shall know what port we have touched sooner or later,” laughed Mrs. Breton, so glad to know that the ship stood still, and to believe that she was about to leave it for the shore. Britomarte neither spoke nor moved. She knew, if her companions did not, that death was imminent. The commotion on deck grew furious; it seemed almost as if a mutiny had sprung up among the seamen; too well she knew the meaning of that commotion; the crew were seizing the lifeboats. Again the voice of the captain was heard near the companionway: “Mr. Bates! see to getting the women in the cabin up on deck immediately—they must first be saved!” Miss Conyers made no reply. “Saved! Heaven of Heavens! From what? From what are we to be saved, Britomarte?” exclaimed Mrs. Breton, suddenly seized with terror. “How strangely you look, Britomarte! Your face is as white and as hard as marble! Oh, dear! oh, dear! what is the matter? What has happened? What are we to be saved from? Tell me! tell me quickly!” cried Martha Breton, wringing her hands in the extremity of distress. “Oh, Heaven, do you not know, then? The ship is wrecked on the rocks! The crew are leaving her in the lifeboats!” said Miss Conyers, solemnly. “Oh, no, no, no! Oh, don’t say that! Oh, mercy!” screamed Mrs. Breton, wild with horror and despair. “Be firm! For Heaven’s sake, be firm! Be a woman! Let these men see that we can brave death with the best of them!” said Britomarte, for you see the ruling passion was “strong in death.” “I don’t care what they see! Oh, dear! oh, dear!” wailed the poor woman. “What is all this fuss about?” cried Mrs. Ely, coming out of her stateroom equipped in bonnet and shawl for her landing. Before any one could answer her, there was a rush of many feet down the companion ladder, and several men entered the cabin, which was still too dark to enable the occupants to recognize the new comers. But Judith hurried out of Mrs. Breton’s stateroom with a lighted lantern, and then they saw that the visitors were Justin Rosenthal, Terrence Riordan, and the two young missionaries. Mr. Ely and Mr. Breton each rushed to the rescue of his wife. Riordan hurried his daughter up the companion ladder. Justin Rosenthal came to the side of Britomarte Conyers.