CHAPTER LVI. FLIGHT.

lyfilledbythehandsoftheship,who,beingstrongestandmostaccustomedtosuchsituations,weremoreabletoeffectthisthanthepassengers.Thecaptainaloneremainedstandingonthewreck,andwithhimHarry,Lisette,Tiff,andthechildren. "Passalong,"saidthecaptain,hastilypressingLisetteonboard,simplybecauseshewasthefirstthatcametohand. "FordegoodLord'ssake,"saidTiff,"putdechil'enonboardderewon'tbenoroomforme,and'tan'tnomatter!Yougo'boardandtakecareof'em,"hesaid,pushingHarryalong. Harrymechanicallysprangintotheboat,andthecaptainafterhim.Theboatwasfull. "Oh,dotakepoorTiff—do!"saidthechildren,stretchingtheirhandsaftertheiroldfriend. "Clearaway,boys,—theboat'sfull!"shoutedadozenvoicesandtheboatpartedfromthewreck,andsunkineddiesandwhirlsofboilingwaves,foam,andspray,andwent,risingandsinking,onwarddriventowardtheshore. Afew,lookingbackwards,sawamightygreenwavecomeroaringandshakingitscrestedhead,liftthehullasifithadbeenanegg-shell,thendashitinfragmentsupontherocks.Thiswasalltheyknew,tilltheywerethemselvescast,wetanddripping,butstillliving,uponthesands. Acrowdofpeopleweregatheredupontheshore,who,withthenaturalkindnessofhumanityonsuchoccasions,gatheredthedrenchedandsea-beatenwanderersintoneighboringcottages,wherefoodandfire,andchangesofdryclothing,awaitedthem. Thechildrenexciteduniversalsympathyandattention,andsomanymothersoftheneighborhoodcamebringingofferingsofclothing,thattheirlostwardrobewassoonverytolerablyreplaced.Butnothingcouldcomfortthemforthelossoftheiroldfriend.Invainthe"littledears"weretemptedwithoffersofcakeandcustard,andeveryimaginableeatable.Theysatwiththeirarmsaroundeachother,quietlyweeping. Nomatterhowunsightlythecasketmaybewhichholdsallthelovethereisonearthforus,bethatlovelodgedintheheartofthepoorestandmostuneducated,thewholeworldcanoffernoexchangeforthelossofit. Tiff'sdevotiontothesechildrenhadbeensoconstant,soprovident,soabsolute,thatitdidnotseemtothempossibletheycouldliveadaywithouthimandthedesolationoftheirlotseemedtogrowuponthemeveryhour.Nothingwouldrestrainthem.Theywouldgooutandlookupanddown,if,perhaps,theymightmeethimbuttheysearchedinvain.AndHarry,whohadattendedthem,ledthembackagain,disconsolate. "Isay,Fanny,"saidTeddy,aftertheyhadsaidt