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THE WRECK

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allay my fears you're mistaken, I don't. If you im- agine that I require company you're wrong; I do not !"

"It's getting late, Uncle" she went on, "you had bet- ter go to bed; you might just see if Umesh is all right. I'm afraid he may be frightened at the storm."

"Nothing frightens me, mother," said a voice in the darkness outside ; Umesh, it appeared, was sitting shiv- ering outside his mistress's door. Touched by his de- votion Kamala hurried out crying, "Umesh, you're just getting soaked with the rain ! Run away, you bad boy, and sleep in Uncle's cabin."

Umesh trotted off obediently with Uncle Chakra- bartti. Affectionate though her tone was, the fact that Kamala had called him a bad boy impressed the lad.

"Shall I talk to you till you go to sleep?" Ramesh asked Kamala.

"No, thank you. I'm very sleepy."

Ramesh fully understood the current of Kamala' s thoughts but he did not attempt to gainsay her. He saw at a glance the injured pride in her expression and slunk away to his own cabin.

Kamala was far too agitated to compose herself to sleep but she forced herself to lie down. The waves were now running high as the storm increased in vio- lence. The deck-hands were astir and at intervals the ting-ting of the telegraph conveyed some order from the master to the engine-room. The anchor alone did not suffice to hold the steamer in the teeth of the gale and the engines were now working slowly.

Kamala threw off her bedclothes and stepped out on to the deck. The rain had ceased for the moment, but the wind roared like a stricken creature as it veered from one quarter to another.

The night was overcast, and a full moon faintly illumined the wild sky in which clouds scurried before the storm like spirits of destruction. The banks were almost blotted out, the surface of the river was barely

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