Captain Nielsen looked eagerly at us over the edge of his cot. Helga would not release me until I was seated on the locker. 'Mr. Tregarthen's strength has been overtaxed, father,' said she. 'Poor man! poor man!' he cried. 'God will bless him. He has suffered much for us.' 'It must be a weakness, following my having been stunned,' said I, ashamed of myself that I should be in need of a girl's pity at such a time--the pity of a girl, too, who was sharing my labours and danger. 'What have you to tell me, Helga?' exclaimed the captain. She answered him in Danish, and they exchanged some sentences in that tongue. 'She is a tight ship,' cried the captain, addressing me: 'it is good news,' he went on, his white countenance lighted up with an expression of exultation, 'to hear that you two should be able to control the water in the hold. Does the weather seem to moderate?' 'No,' said I; 'it blows as hard as ever it did.' 'Does the sea break aboard?' 'There is plenty of water washing about,' said I, 'but the vessel seems to be making a brave fight.' 'When daylight comes, Helga,' said he, 'you will hoist a distress colour at the mizzen-peak. If the peak be wrecked or the halliards gone, the flag must be seized to the mizzen shrouds.' 'I will see to all that, father,' she answered; 'and now, Mr. Tregarthen, you will take some rest.' I could not bear the idea of sleeping while she remained up; yet though neither of us could be of the least use on deck, our both resting at once was not to be thought of, if it was only for the sake of the comfort that was to be got out of knowing that there was somebody awake and on watch. 'I will gladly rest,' said I, 'on condition that you now lie down and sleep for two or three hours.' She answered no; she was less tired than I; she had not undergone what I had suffered in the lifeboat. She begged me to take some repose. 'It is my selfishness that entreats you,' said she: 'if you break down, what are my father and I to do?' 'True,' I exclaimed, 'but the three of us would be worse off still if _you_ were to break down.' However, as I saw that she was very much in earnest, while her father also joined her in entreating me to rest, I consented on her agreeing first to remove her soaking clothes, for it was miserable to see her shivering from time to time and looking as though she had just been dragged over the side, and yet bravely disregarding the discomfort, smiling as often as she addressed me and conversing with her father with a face of serenity, plainly striving to soothe and reassure him by an air of cheerful confidence.