Augusta was, not unnaturally, almost horrified into following the figure's example, when, suddenly growing faint or from some other cause, it loosed its hold and rolled into the scuppers, where it lay feebly swearing.

Augusta, obeying a tender impulse of humanity, hurried forward and stretched out the hand of succour, and presently, between her help and that of the bulwark netting, the man struggled to his feet.

As he did so his face came close to hers, and in the dim light she recognised the fat, coarse features, now blanched with misery, of Mr.Meeson, the publisher.

There was no doubt about it, it was her enemy; the man whose behavior had indirectly, as she believed, caused the death of her little sister.

She dropped his hand with an exclamation of disgust and dismay, and as she did so he recognised who she was.
"Hullo!" he said, with a faint and rather feeble attempt to assume his fine old crusted publishing-company manners.