A LIVELY EVENING AT THE HOTEL
The Blanchita had been painted since her return from Borneo, and she had
a decidedly holiday appearance. Captain Rayburn had been introduced to
all the ladies and gentlemen on board; and in the steam-launch he was
presented to General Noury and his wife, and to the others of the
Blanche. The port physician went on shore with them, pointed out to them
the landing-place, and directed them to the hotel.
The party landed, and found the hotel "good enough," though hardly in
the slang sense of the phrase. Apartments were obtained for all, and
dinner was ordered. Captain Rayburn had been a couple of days in Saigon,
and had learned something about the city. He was the guide of the
Nimrods when they took a walk before dinner. They went through the
French portion of the place, where they found the streets broad, and
ornamented with trees. The houses were seldom more than two stories
high.
The governor's palace was a magnificent residence for Cochin China, and
the cathedral was also a fine building; but after going half over the
world the young voyagers did not find much to attract them.
They were more interested in what the country itself produced than in
what had been brought from France. There was a European garrison in the
citadel; but the natives were enlisted as soldiers, and drilled in
French tactics. The promenaders met a squad of the latter. They wore
blue blouses, white pants, and a flat cork-lined cap; but they did not
wear shoes, and they looked very odd to the visitors in their bare feet.
The walk ended with a visit to the botanical garden; but the tropical
plants were what they had been seeing for two months, and they were not
a novelty to them. The foreign plants and trees were more interesting to
them, and they had been set out with a view of ascertaining what were
adapted to the soil and climate of the country.
"This place consists really of three towns united," said Captain Rayburn
as they walked back to the hotel. "It was formerly but a group of
fishing villages, though even then it was the capital. Pingeh is the
commercial town, on the west side of the river, and Cholon is the native
quarter. The citadel or fortress is in Pingeh, but we have not time to
visit either of them to-night."
"You have been here before, Captain?" asked Louis.
"Not in the Delhi. I was for some years the commander of one of the P. &
O. steamers; but I was taken very sick six months ago, and was obliged
to spend three months in Calcutta. When I got well, a merchant there
who had been a good friend of mine during my illness, was in a great
strait to find a captain for the Delhi in place of one who had died. I
agreed to take her for a single voyage; for she is a very small craft
for me, as I have been in command of ships of six thousand tons. I shall
return to my steamer when she comes to Calcutta in a couple of months."
"I thought you were too big a man to be in command of such a puny vessel
as the Delhi," added Scott.
"I took charge of her only to accommodate my friend her owner. I don't
find any fault with her, except that she is old and very slow," added
the captain as they came to the hotel.
"Ah, Captain Rayburn, how do you do?" exclaimed a gentleman, extending
his hand to him. "I was a passenger in your ship to Hong-Kong last
year."
"O Monsieur Frôler!" replied Captain Rayburn, grasping the proffered
hand. "Of course I remember you very well, for I don't often get so
fully acquainted with my passengers as I did with you; and I only wished
I could talk French with you. But you speak English as well as I can, so
that it made no difference. Do you reside here?"
"I went from Hong-Kong to Canton, and several other Chinese cities, and
then to Japan, after we parted, and finally I came here. I like the
place, and have been here six months," replied the French gentleman,
who was not over thirty years of age. "I live at this hotel; and we have
a great American party here, with an English steamer that has a Moorish
pacha on board with his wife, who is an Indian princess, so the landlord
told me; and I wish to be introduced to them."
"I can assist you to that, Mr. Frôler. Are you in business here?" asked
the captain.
"Not at all; my father made my fortune for me, and I do nothing but
travel, and when I come to a place I like I stay there as long as I
please; and I am doing that here."
"Mr. Frôler, allow me to present to you Mr. Louis Belgrave, the owner of
the Guardian-Mother, the American steam-yacht in the river," continued
Captain Rayburn.
The French gentleman received the young man with the greatest deference
and politeness, and introduced him to his companion. A conversation in
French followed; for Louis was inclined to use that language when he
could, to keep "his tongue in," as he put it. Mr. Frôler told him that
he was well acquainted in the city with all the principal men, and was
familiar with all the localities. He would be very happy to escort the
party wherever they wished to go, and to introduce them to the governor
and other officers of the army and officials.
Louis then conducted the Frenchman to the large parlor where the
tourists were waiting for dinner, and introduced him to Captain
Ringgold, who received him with his usual politeness. While Louis was
introducing him to all the members of the party, Captain Rayburn
informed the commander that he had first met Mr. Frôler when in command
of a P. & O. steamer.
"Were you in command of a P. & O. steamer?" asked Captain Ringgold,
opening his eyes very wide.
"I am still in command of one," replied the English captain; and then
explained how he happened to be in the Delhi. "Mr. Frôler was really the
most agreeable passenger I ever had, and I became very intimate with
him. He is very wealthy, and travels all the time, though he sometimes
stops a year in a place. He is a high-toned gentleman in every sense of
the word. He is acquainted with the principal merchants and all the
officials in Saigon, and desires to assist your party in seeing the city
and its surroundings."
"I shall certainly be very grateful to him for his services," replied
the commander, as Mr. Frôler approached them after making his round of
introductions with Louis.
The Frenchman formally tendered his assistance to the party, and they
were gratefully accepted by the commander. Of course he was invited to
dinner with the party; and the seat of honor on the right of the captain
was given to him, while that on the left was appropriated to Captain
Rayburn. The princess was placed next to the Frenchman, with the pacha
next. The others took seats to suit themselves.
The dinner was excellent, and Dr. Hawkes wondered if Monsieur Odervie
had not had a hand in its preparation; and this afterwards proved to be
the case. French cooks are very fraternal; and when one of them is to
get up a great dinner, his _confrères_ generally tender their assistance
to him. As no dinner was to be served that day on the steamer, Monsieur
Odervie had obtained leave of absence, and called upon the cook of the
hotel. His proffered aid was accepted, and the surgeon was confident he
had made the sauce for the excellent fish that was served.
It was a lively party at the table, for the guests were desirous of
knowing more about the mission of the Guardian-Mother all over the
world; and their curiosity was gratified, the pacha telling the
Frenchman all about it in the language of the latter. No wine was
served, for the reason that none was ordered, doubtless greatly to the
regret of the landlord; and the commander made an explanation, though
not an apology.
"I am a Frenchman, but I drink no wine," said Mr. Frôler; "for the
reason that it does not agree with me. I have great respect for my
stomach; for it is very serviceable to me, like my watch, if I keep it
in good order. I drank no wine nor liquor in Paris, and still less would
I do so in a tropical country."
"I am in the same boat with my friend Mr. Frôler. The P. & O. Company
does not encourage its captains to drink anything; and when I entered
the service as a fourth officer, I knocked off entirely, afloat or
ashore; and I have stuck to my text ever since," added Captain Rayburn.
"Then our teetotal habits do not interfere at all with our guests."
"Not at all," added both of them.
"Did you know that the captain of your consort from Borneo was a
commander in the P. & O. service, Mr. Belgrave?" asked Captain Ringgold.
"I did not till this evening; I knew that he was a gentleman, and that
was all that I wished to know," replied Louis.
This remark was applauded warmly by the company. The captain then said
that he wished to introduce the guests of the occasion over again,
though they had been presented individually to all the company. He
wished to say that Captain Rayburn was actually the commander of a P. &
O. steamer of six thousand tons, on leave of absence on account of
sickness. He also told them something more about the Frenchman. He was a
gentleman whose father had made his fortune for him, as he expressed
himself; he was not engaged in any business, and held no official
position. He was travelling only for his own amusement and instruction,
and his stay in Saigon had been prolonged to six months.
As the party left the table, Mr. Frôler had a little talk for a few
minutes, when he excused himself, and left the hotel, promising to
return in half an hour. Conversation was resumed in the parlor; and
presently Mrs. Belgrave started one of the familiar hymns when she found
a piano in the room, in which the captain of the Delhi joined with a
tremendous bass voice.
While the music was in full blast, Mr. Frôler entered the apartment,
accompanied by two ladies and two gentlemen, both of the latter wearing
the decoration of the Legion of Honor. It was evident that the visitors
were magnates of Saigon; and Mrs. Belgrave rose from the instrument, and
the singing was discontinued.
"I have the pleasure of presenting to Your Excellency, Captain Ringgold,
commander of the steamer Guardian-Mother, visiting Saigon with the
company of tourists here present," said Mr. Frôler, leading up one of
the strangers. "Captain Ringgold, I have the honor to introduce to you
His Excellency the Governor of French Cochin China."
The two gentlemen then shook hands. Louis Belgrave was then presented,
followed by General Noury and his wife; and the pacha then took His
excellency to every member of the party, and presented each in due form.
While this was in process, Mr. Frôler presented to the commander the
other gentleman, who appeared to be about fifty years old, as Monsieur
Larousse, merchant of the city; and Louis followed the general in
introducing him to the members of the party. The master of ceremonies
next led up to Captain Ringgold the two ladies, presenting them as
Madame and Mademoiselle Larousse; and they appeared to be the wife and
daughter of the elderly gentleman who had preceded them.
The daughter was a beautiful lady, apparently about twenty-four years
old, though it is not always practicable to state the age of a French
lady. By this time General Noury had made his round, and the governor
was passed over to Mrs. Noury, at his request. The commander made the
circuit with Madame Larousse, and the pacha offered his services to
conduct Mademoiselle Larousse. He presented her to his wife first,
interrupting her _tête-à-tête_ with His Excellency for a moment.
"Pretty woman," said Captain Rayburn to Captain Ringgold.
"Very pretty," replied the latter.
"Between you and me, she is the particular reason why Frôler has
prolonged his stay here to six months."
"Then I congratulate him," added the commander.
"Her father is not rich; Frôler does not care for that, for he is a
multi-millionaire himself, counted in francs. But the prettiest lady
here is the sister of Morris, Miss Blanche."
"Madame Noury, you were singing when I came in," said the governor when
the introductions had been completed.
"But they were singing American hymns, not adapted to your religion or
mine," replied Mrs. Noury.
"I don't care for that," he added; and both spoke French. "I liked what
I heard very much, and I should wish to hear some more of it."
Mrs. Belgrave was called, and the request repeated to her in English by
the magnate. And so it happened that the rest of the evening was passed
in singing gospel hymns. At a late hour the company separated.