lost a life."

[Illustration: "'NOW, MY CHILD,' SAID MRS. NOAH, FIRMLY, 'I DO NOT WISH
ANY WORDS'"]

The boat gave a slight tremor.

"Hurrah," cried Elizabeth, clapping her hands with glee, "we are off!"

"I will repair to the deck and get our bearings," said Mrs. Noah, putting
her shawl over her shoulders. "Meantime, Cleopatra, I appoint you first
mate. See that things are tidied up a bit here before I return. Have the
windows washed, and to-morrow I want all the rugs and carpets taken up and
shaken."

Portia meanwhile had discovered the naphtha engine, and, after
experimenting several times with the various levers and stop-cocks, had
finally managed to move one of them in such a way as to set the engine
going, and the wheel began to revolve.

"Are we going all right?" she cried, from below.

"I am afraid not," said the gallant commander. "The wheel is roiling up
the water at a great rate, but we don't seem to be going ahead very
fast--in fact, we're simply moving round and round as though we were on a
pivot."

"I'm afraid we're aground amidships," said Xanthippe, gazing over the side
of the House-boat anxiously. "She certainly acts that way--like a
merry-go-round."