"The awnings were off, and the gruff third mate creaking slowly to and fro in his soaked shoes; the judge stood talking with the captain before one of the round-house doors; directly after I noticed a young lady's figure in a white dress close by the mizzen-rigging, apparently intent on the sea to leeward. 'Well, now or never!' thought I, stepping over in the shadow of the mainsheet. I heard her draw a long breath; and then, without turning her head at the sound of my foot, 'I wonder if there is anything so strange in India,' exclaimed she; '_is_ there now?' 'No, no, madam!' said I, starting, and watching as the huge cloud grew darker, with a rusty stain in it, while three or four broad-backed swells, one beyond the other, rose up black against the setting moon, as if they'd plunge right into her. Miss Hyde turned round, with one hand on the bulwark to steady herself, and half looked at me. 'I thought,' said she--'where is papa?--I thought my father----' I begged pardon for intruding, but next minute she appeared to have forgotten it, and said, in a musing sort of way, partly to herself, partly to me--'I seem to _remember_ it all--as if I just saw that black wave--and--that monstrous cloud over again! Oh! really that is the _very_ same top it had _then_--see!'--'Yes,' said I, leaning forward, with a notion I _had_ seen it before, though heaven knew when. 'Did you ever read about Columbus and Vasco di Gama?' asked she, though directly afterwards her features broke into a laughing smile as she caught sight of mine--at the thought, I suppose, of my ridiculous figure the last time she saw me. 'No, never,' said I; 'but look to windward, ma'am; 'tis coming on a squall again. For heaven's sake, Miss Hyde, go in! We're to have another shower, and that pretty thick. I wonder the mate don't stow the royals.' 'What do you mean?' said she, turning. 'Why are you alarmed, sir? I see nothing particular.' The sea was coming over, in a smooth round-backed swell, out of a dirty, thick jumble of a sky, with a pitch-black line behind--what Ford would have called 'wild' by daylight; but the young lady's eye naturally saw no more in it than a dark night. "Here the judge came over from the binnacle, giving me a nod, as much as to say he recollected me. 'I am afraid, sir,' said I, 'if you don't make haste, you'll get wet.' 'How!' said Sir Charles, ''tis an exceedingly pleasant night, I think, after such a very hot day. They don't know how to cool rooms here--this perpetual wood retains heat till midnight, sir! That detestable pitch precludes walking--the sea absolutely glares like tin. _Why_ do you suppose so now--eh, young gentleman?' said he again, turning back, all of a sudden, with his daughter on his arm.