But presently she seemed to gather up her energies and to grow conscious of the thousands and thousands of miles of wide tossing water, which stretched between her and the far-off harbour where her mighty heart should cease from beating and be for a while at rest.

Quicker and quicker she sped along, and spurned the churning water from her swift sides.

She was running under a full head of steam now, and the coast-line of England grew faint and low in the faint, low light, till at last it almost vanished from the gaze of a tall, slim girl, who stood forward, clinging to the starboard bulwark netting and looking with deep grey eyes across the waste of waters.

Presently Augusta, for it was she, could see the shore no more, and turned to watch the other passengers and think.
She was sad at heart, poor girl, and felt what she was--a very waif upon the sea of life.

Not that she had much to regret upon the vanished coast-line.