THE CHARM OF THE OLD WORLD ROMANCES – Premium 10 Book Collection. Robert Barr

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      CHAPTER VI.

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      A few mornings later Wentworth worked his way, with much balancing and grasping of stanchions, along the deck, for the ship rolled fearfully, but the person he sought was nowhere visible. He thought he would go into the smoking-room, but changed his mind at the door, and turned down the companion-way to the main saloon. The tables had been cleared of the breakfast belongings, but on one of the small tables a white cloth had been laid, and at this spot of purity in the general desert of red plush sat Miss Brewster, who was complacently ordering what she wanted from a steward, who did not seem at all pleased in serving one who had disregarded the breakfast-hour, to the disarrangement of all saloon rules. The chief steward stood by a door and looked disapprovingly at the tardy guest. It was almost time to lay the tables for lunch, and the young woman was as calmly ordering her breakfast as if she had been the first person at table.

      She looked up brightly at Wentworth, and smiled as he approached her.

      'I suppose,' she began, 'I'm dreadfully late, and the steward looks as if he would like to scold me. How awfully the ship is rolling! Is there a storm?'

      'No. She seems to be doing this sort of thing for amusement. Wants to make it interesting for the unfortunate passengers who are not good sailors, I suppose. She's doing it, too. There's scarcely anyone on deck.'

      'Dear me! I thought we were having a dreadful storm. Is it raining?'

      'No. It's a beautiful sunshiny day; without much wind either, in spite of all this row.'

      'I suppose you have had your breakfast long ago?'

      'So long since that I am beginning to look forward with pleasant anticipation to lunch.'

      'Oh dear! I had no idea I was so late as that. Perhaps you had better scold me. Somebody ought to do it, and the steward seems a little afraid.'

      'You over-estimate my courage. I am a little afraid, too.'

      'Then you do think I deserve it?'

      'I didn't say that, nor do I think it. I confess, however, that up to this moment I felt just a trifle lonely.'

      'Just a trifle! Well, that is flattery. How nicely you English do turn a compliment! Just a trifle!'

      'I believe, as a race, we do not venture much into compliment making at all. We leave that for the polite foreigner. He would say what I tried to say a great deal better than I did, of course, but he would not mean half so much.'

      'Oh, that's very nice, Mr. Wentworth. No foreigner could have put it nearly so well. Now, what about going on deck?'

      'Anywhere, if you let me accompany you.'

      'I shall be most delighted to have you. I won't say merely a trifle delighted.'

      'Ah! Haven't you forgiven that remark yet?'

      'There's nothing to forgive, and it is quite too delicious to forget. I shall never forget it.'

      'I believe that you are very cruel at heart, Miss Brewster.'

      The young woman gave him a curious side-look, but did not answer. She gathered the wraps she had taken from her cabin, and, handing them to him before he had thought of offering to take them, she led the way to the deck. He found their chairs side by side, and admired the intelligence of the deck-steward, who seemed to understand which chairs to place together. Miss Jennie sank gracefully into her own, and allowed him to adjust the wraps around her.

      'There,' she said, 'that's very nicely done; as well as the deck-steward himself could do it, and I am sure it is impossible to pay you a more graceful compliment than that. So few men know how to arrange one comfortably in a steamer chair.'

      'You speak as though you had vast experience in steamer life, and yet you told me this was your first voyage.'

      'It is. But it doesn't take a woman more than a day to see that the average man attends to such little niceties very clumsily. Now just tuck in the corner out of sight. There! Thank you, ever so much. And would you be kind enough to—Yes, that's better. And this other wrap so. Oh, that is perfect. What a patient man you are, Mr. Wentworth!'

      'Yes, Miss Brewster. You are a foreigner. I can see that now. Your professed compliment was hollow. You said I did it perfectly, and then immediately directed me how to do it.'

      'Nothing of the kind. You did it well, and I think you ought not to grudge me the pleasure of adding my own little improvements.'

      'Oh, if you put it in that way, I will not. Now, before I sit down, tell me what book I can get that will interest you. The library contains a very good assortment.'

      'I don't think I care about reading. Sit down and talk. I suppose I am too indolent to-day. I СКАЧАТЬ