Susan | Page 7

sorts of bags, and parcels, and bundles of wraps, jostling each other
in their eagerness to secure good places, and over their heads
meanwhile dark smoke came rushing out of the tall black funnel, and
there was a constant hissing noise. Then Susan noticed a silent man
standing behind a great wheel at one end of the boat, and in front of this
was written, "Please do not speak to the man at the wheel." She thought
this very strange--it was almost as though the man at the wheel were in
disgrace. As she was gazing at him and thinking how dull he must be,
shut out from all conversation, she saw him turn the wheel backwards
and forwards by some handles on which his hands were resting: at the
same moment the captain gave a gruff roar, a great rope was hauled on
board, and the steamer, which till now had been curtseying gently up

and down on the water, began to move smoothly on her way.
Maria, who up to this time had not ceased to inquire if this was the
right boat for Ramsgate, settled herself at Susan's side when the start
was really made. The sun shone so brightly that it was warm and
pleasant on deck, and they found plenty to admire and point out to each
other as they went along. A journey by the steamboat was much nicer,
they agreed, than by the train. This agreeable state of things lasted
while they were on the river, but presently the steamer began to roll a
little, and to be tossed about by the waves of the open sea. Then Maria
became more and more silent, until quite suddenly, to Susan's alarm,
she rose, said hastily, "You stop here, Miss Susan," and dived down
into the cabin near which they were sitting. What could be the matter?
Susan looked helplessly round; she did not like to follow her, and yet it
was not at all pleasant to be left here alone amongst all these strangers;
she felt frightened and deserted. Next to her sat a tall thin man reading
a book. He was tightly buttoned up to the chin in a threadbare
great-coat greenish with age, and wore leather straps under his boots.
She had noticed this when he came on board, and thought he looked
different somehow from everyone else; now she lifted her eyes, and
made a side-way examination of his face. He was clean shaven except
for a short-pointed beard, and his greyish hair was very closely-cropped.
His eyes she could not see, for they were bent on the pages before him,
but presently raising them his glance fell on her, and he smiled
reassuringly. Susan had never been used to smile at strangers; so,
though she did not remove her gaze, it continued to be a very serious
one, and also rather distressed.
"The Bonne has mal de mer?" he asked, after they had looked at each
other for a minute in silence. Susan did not answer, and, indeed, did not
know what he meant. This was a Frenchman, she thought to herself,
and that was why he looked different to the other people.
"She is vot you call sea-seek," he repeated--"that is a bad thing--but she
will be soon better." It was a comfort to hear this, though Susan could
not imagine how he knew what was the matter with Maria.
"It arrives often," he remarked again, "to those who travel on the sea--

myself, I have also suffered from it."
He looked so very kind as he said this, that Susan was encouraged to
smile at him, and little by little to say a few words. After that they
quickly became friends, and he proved a very amusing companion; for,
putting down his book, he devoted himself to her entirely, and told her
many wonderful facts about the sea, and ships, and the sea-gulls flying
overhead. She listened to these with great attention, bent on storing
them up to tell Maria afterwards, and then became confidential in her
turn. She told him about her home in London, and Freddie's illness, and
the long journey he was going to begin to-morrow, and Monsieur
appeared to take the very deepest interest in it all. By degrees Susan
almost forgot poor Maria in the pleasure of this new and agreeable
acquaintance.
It was now between one and two o'clock, and Monsieur produced from
under the seat a long narrow black bag, and unlocked it In it Susan
could not help seeing there were a roll of manuscript, one or two books,
a pair of slippers, and a flat white paper parcel. This last being opened,
disclosed a hard round biscuit with seeds in it.
"Voyons!" he said gaily, "let us dine, ma petite demoiselle."