THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION IN THE CABIN
It was still early in the morning, and the cabin party were not disposed to
remain any longer on the promenade deck; for it was almost impossible for
some of them to stand up, even with the aid of the life-lines and the
rails, and all of them retreated to the boudoir and music-room. None of
them had been introduced to the strangers; for they had asked to be
excused, as they were not in a presentable condition.
The trio of distinguished individuals who had been conducted to the main
cabin by the commander were of course soaked with water, and chilled after
remaining so long in their involuntary bath; and for this reason no
questions were asked of them to bring out an explanation of the cause of
the disaster of which they had been the victims. There were three vacant
state-rooms, to which they were assigned, and each of them had a bathroom
connected with it. The two cabin stewards had already been ordered to
prepare these rooms for the occupancy of the newcomers. Warm baths were
ready for them when they took possession of the apartments.
"All this is more luxurious than we have been accustomed to lately," said
Lord Tremlyn, when the commander ushered him into No. 11, which was
provided with everything belonging to a suite of rooms in the best hotels
of the United States.
"I hope you will be able to make yourself comfortable, sir; but your
greatest need at the present moment appears to be dry clothing, when you
have restored your limbs to their normal condition in the bath, and I will
endeavor to supply this want," replied the commander.
"You are very kind, Captain Ringgold, and I shall never cease to be
grateful to you for the service you have rendered to me and my companions;
for all of us would have perished when the wreck of our steamer went down,
without the prompt assistance you rendered to us," said the principal
personage of the party, who was still shivering under the influence of the
chill he had received in the cold waters of the sea.
The captain retired, closing the door of the room. He went to No. 12, to
which Sir Modava Rao had been shown, and then to No. 13, which had been
appropriated to Dr. Ferrolan. He assured both of them that dry clothing
would be provided for them, and both of them stammered forth their
obligations very profusely from between their chattering teeth. The doors
were closed upon them after they had been instructed to call upon the
stewards outside for anything they needed.
The commander had taken the measure of the trio, and knew where to apply
for the clothing needed. The surgeon of the party was about the size of Mr.
Sage, the chief steward of the ship; and he was asked to supply a full
suit, including undergarments, shirt, socks, collar, and cravat. His
lordship was about the size of Mr. Woolridge, who was more than happy to
provide for the needs of this gentleman. Professor Giroud was a rather
slender person; and from his wardrobe came the suit and other furnishings
for the titled Hindu. The clothing of each person was placed on a stool at
the door of his room, and he was notified where to obtain it.
"Mr. Sage, you understand by this time that we have sixteen places to be
taken at the table," said Captain Ringgold to the chief steward.
"I think I had better set two tables, for sixteen would be rather crowded
in the space we use now," replied Mr. Sage, who was a Napoleon in his
calling. "I propose to arrange them as they were at the big dinner you gave
at Aden."
"And while you are about it you may arrange for nineteen places at the
tables," replied the captain; but he did not explain who were to occupy the
three he had added to the number.
The commander went to his private cabin, after he had visited the
pilot-house, and made a diagram of the two tables, assigning places to each
of the party and the guests, but leaving three of the end places vacant. He
showed it to Louis and Mrs. Belgrave, and they made no objection to the new
arrangement. It was handed to the chief steward, who put a card with the
name of the occupant of each seat on the plate in front of it. The
revolving chairs at the tables had to be all changed, and more added to it;
and Stevens the carpenter, with his assistants from the crew, were busy for
an hour making the change.
When the commander visited the music-room, he was unable to answer any of
the questions of his passengers as to the details of the wreck of the
Travancore, though he gave the names and quality of the three gentlemen who
had been invited to go below. The sleepers in the cabin had been aroused by
the erratic movements of the steamer before daylight, especially by the
change from rolling to pitching. There was a thundering roar of escaping
steam at times, and all of them had "turned out" to ascertain the cause of
the commotion. Felix and Morris had been the first to go on deck, and they
had informed the others of the nature of the event which had caused the
commotion on board.
The regular passengers had seen the strangers as they came down to the
promenade deck from the cutters. They were naturally filled with curiosity
to ascertain who and what the trio were. One was a lord, another a sir, and
the third a surgeon; and this was all that was known to any one.
"Have we really a live lord on board, Felix?" asked Mrs. Blossom, as they
were waiting for breakfast in the music-room.
"He is not a dead one, sure," replied the Milesian, "though he would soon
have been a very dead one if we had not happened along when we did."
"One of them was a colored man," added the good lady.
"Sir Modava Rao!" exclaimed Felix. "He is not more than a shade darker than
you are, Aunty; and he is a great man in the country we visit next. But dry
up; the captain is going to say something."
The commander gave the names of the three distinguished persons who were
then in the cabin. It was very nearly breakfast-time, and the trio had had
abundant time to dress themselves in the garments provided for them, and he
requested all the party to descend to the cabin, leading the way himself.
They found the rescued party seated on the divans between the doors of the
state-rooms, and they all rose to their feet as soon as the commander
appeared.
They presented an entirely different appearance from what they did in their
drabbled garments; for those who had supplied them with clothing had
brought out their best clothes, and the three gentlemen seemed to be in
condition to go to church. Lord Tremlyn hastened to the captain with
extended hand as he stepped down upon the floor of the cabin.
"I desire to express my gratitude anew to you, and to the gentlemen who
have made us capable of coming into your presence in proper condition,"
said his lordship, as the commander took his offered hand, which was wrung
with the utmost cordiality.
"So far as I am concerned, my Lord, I have done nothing but my duty; for I
am a sailor, and the true son of the ocean is always ready to sacrifice
even his life to save a shipwrecked brother of the sea," replied the
captain.
"Then you are a true son of the ocean, Captain Ringgold, and I shall
remember you as long as I live in my prayers!"
"So shall we all!" exclaimed Sir Modava, taking the hand of the commander.
"I indorse the sentiment," added Dr. Ferrolan.
"In regard to the clothing," said the commander, as he threw back his head,
elevated his shoulders, and spread out his arms, so as to exhibit to its
full extent the height and breadth of his stalwart form, "I was,
unfortunately, unable to contribute to the supply of garments for your
party; for mine on any one of you would have been like a shirt on a
handspike."
"But a London tailor could hardly have fitted us any better," replied the
spokesman of the trio.
"I am happy to see you in such excellent condition so soon after the
disaster. With your permission, gentlemen, I desire to introduce you to
each of my passengers, promising to indicate those whose garments you
wear," continued the commander.
"With the greatest pleasure," replied Lord Tremlyn; and the other two bowed
their acquiescence.
"This, gentlemen, is Mr. Belgrave, the owner of the Guardian-Mother, the
steam-yacht in which he is making a voyage round the world."
"I am extremely pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Belgrave," added
Lord Tremlyn, as he took the hand of the young millionaire. "We owe our
lives to the fortunate presence of your magnificent steam-yacht in this
part of the Arabian Sea. Permit me to present to you Prince Modava, who has
been knighted for his distinguished services to the British Crown, and who
prefers to be known by his English title."
"That's your colored man!" whispered Felix to Mrs. Blossom.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the motherly lady. "A live prince!"
"It affords me very great pleasure to become acquainted with you, Mr.
Belgrave," with a smile so sweet and expressive that it ravished the hearts
of the ladies. "I am under a burden of obligation to you which I shall
never be able to repay; and I hope I shall be able to render you some
slight service in assisting you to see India, for I learn that you are
bound to Bombay."
"I thank you, Sir Modava; and we shall gratefully accept any favors you may
extend to us."
"Let me add, my Lord, that Mr. Belgrave pulled the stroke oar in the boat
which picked you up after you had sent our first cutter to the relief of
Sir Modava," interposed the commander.
"Then I shall have an additional reason to remember with gratitude the
young gentleman," added Lord Tremlyn.
"Mrs. Belgrave, gentlemen, the mother of our owner," the captain proceeded,
as he took the lady by the arm.
"I congratulate you, madam, on being the mother of such a noble son; for
not many young men with the fortune he has at his command would pull an oar
in such a gale, such a storm, even to save his fellow-beings from perishing
in the angry waves," said his lordship, as he took the hand of the lady.
"Blessed be the mother of such a boy!"
The members of the Woolridge family were next presented to the trio; and
the distinguished strangers had something pleasant to say to each of them.
The "live lord" was only twenty-eight years old, and Sir Modava but thirty,
while Dr. Ferrolan was forty-six; and all of them seemed to be greatly
impressed, and even startled, when Miss Blanche dawned upon them; for she
was as beautiful to them as she was to everybody else, and they seemed to
be unwilling to allow her to make room for the others to be introduced.
Every person in the cabin seemed to enter into the spirit of the occasion;
and the wearers of the borrowed clothing, as the owners of the garments
were indicated, brought forth many humorous remarks from both sides, which
it would be pleasant to report if space permitted. The ceremony was
finished in due time, though it was rather a long time.
"We are not accustomed to the companionship of titled personages," said the
commander at its conclusion. "But we are eminently a social party, and we
desire our guests to make themselves as much at home on board of the
Guardian-Mother as if they owned her, and were running her for their own
pleasure."
"Thank you, Captain Ringgold. Titles are not men, and we know that you are
all republicans. If we do not make ourselves worthy of the generous welcome
you have extended to us, we shall not ask any consideration on account
of the titles that have fallen upon us through the nature of our
constitutional government. I believe that we all stand on the same level
before our Maker; and whatever social distinctions prevail in our country,
they do not exempt any Briton from being a gentleman and an honest man,"
replied Lord Tremlyn. And his remarks were warmly applauded by both English
and Americans; and the gentleman bowed his thanks for this appreciation of
his sentiments.
At a nod from the captain the bell was rung for breakfast. Taking the "live
lord" by the arm, he conducted him to the seat next him on his right. Louis
conducted Sir Modava to the place on the commander's left, and placed his
mother next to him. It was found impracticable to heed the names that had
been placed on the plates, for it would have taken too much time. Louis
took Miss Blanche to the place next to his mother, and seated himself at
her right.
Dr. Hawkes took possession of Dr. Ferrolan, and placed himself and Uncle
Moses on each side of him. The professor took charge of Mrs. Blossom. The
captain invited those who remained standing to take such seats as they
chose; and when all were placed at the table, he reverently said a brief
grace. Everybody was unusually social; but as the commander had announced
that the particulars of the wreck of the Travancore would be detailed in
due time by Dr. Ferrolan, the subject was ignored, and the voyage of the
Guardian-Mother was the general subject of conversation. The chief steward
had "spread himself" on the breakfast, and the meal was far more elaborate
than usual; and the wrecked trio proved that they had excellent appetites.