"May I come and sit by you?" said she to Jane. "You seem to be all alone."
"Yes," said Jane; "we don't know any body in this ship."
"Not any body?" said the young lady. "Then you may know me. My name is Maria. But your father and mother are on board the ship, are they not?"
"No," said Rollo. "There is not any body on board this ship that belongs to us."
Maria seemed very much astonished at hearing this, and she asked the children how it happened that they were sent across the Atlantic alone. Upon which Rollo, in a very clear and lucid manner, explained all the circumstances of the case to her. He told her about his father being sick in England, and about his having sent for him and Jane to go to England and meet him there. He also explained what Mr. George's plan had been for providing them with a protector on the voyage, and how it had been defeated by the accident of the loss of the trunk. He also told her how narrowly they had escaped having the trunk itself left behind. He ended by saying that there were several of his father's friends on board, only he did not know of any way by which he could find out who they were.
"Never mind that," said Maria. "I will take care of you. You need not be at all afraid; you will get along very well. Have you got any state room?"
"No," said Rollo.
"Well, I will go and find the chambermaid, and she will get you one. Then we will have your trunk sent to it, and you will feel quite at home there."
So Maria went away, and presently returned with one of the chambermaids.
When the chambermaid learned that there were two children on board without any one to take care of them, she was very much interested in their case. Rollo heard her say to Maria, as they came up together toward the sofa where the children were sitting,-
"O, yes, I will find them a state room, if they have not got one already. Children," she added, when she came near, "are you sure you have not got any state room?"
"Yes," said Rollo. "I did not know where the captain's office was."
"O, you don't go to the captain's office," said the chambermaid. "They pay for the passage and get the tickets in Wall Street."
"Perhaps this is it, then," said Rollo. And so saying, he took out his wallet, and there, from one of the inner compartments, where his uncle George had placed it away very carefully, he produced a paper. The chambermaid opened it, saying, "Yes, this is all right. Berths sixteen and eighteen. Come with me, and I'll show you where they are."
So the two children, accompanied by Maria, followed the chambermaid, who led the way across the cabin, and there, entering a passage way, she opened a door, by means of a beautiful porcelain knob which was upon it. They all went in. They found themselves in a small room, no bigger than a large closet, but they saw at a glance that it was very beautifully finished and furnished. On the front side was a round window like those they had seen in the dining saloon. Under this window was a couch, with a pillow at the head of it. On the back side were two berths, one above the other, with very pretty curtains before them.
"There!" said the chambermaid, "sixteen. That lower berth is yours."
"And whose is the upper berth?" asked Maria.
"That is not taken, I think," said the chambermaid.
"Then I will take it," said Maria. "I will come into this state room, and then I can look after Jennie all the time. But where is Rollo's berth?"
"In the next state room," said the chambermaid.
So saying, she opened a door in the end of the room, and found another state room communicating with the first, where she pointed out Rollo's berth. There was another entrance to Rollo's state room from the passage leading into the cabin, on the farther side of it.
"There," said the chambermaid, "now you can settle yourselves here as soon as you please. Nobody can come in here to trouble you, for you have these little rooms all to yourselves. I'll go and find a porter, and get him to look up your trunk and send it in."
So Rollo went into his state room, and Jane sat down upon the couch in hers, by the side of Maria, looking very much pleased. She opened the door of the cage, and let the kitten out. The kitten walked all about the room, examining every thing with great attention. She jumped up upon the marble washstand, and from that she contrived to get into the round window, where she stood for a few minutes looking out very attentively over the wide sea. Not knowing, however, what to make of so extraordinary a prospect, she presently jumped down again, and, selecting a smooth place at the foot of the couch, she curled herself up into a ring upon the soft covering of it, and went to sleep.
CHAPTER V. ON DECK.
As soon as Rollo and Jane found themselves thus established in their state rooms, they began to examine the furniture and fixtures around them with great curiosity. They were particularly interested in observing the precautions which had been taken in securing every thing which the state rooms contained, from the danger of being thrown about by the motion of the ship. The wash basin was made of marble, and was firmly set in its place, so as to be absolutely immovable. There was a hole in the bottom of it, with a plug in it, so that, by drawing out the plug, the water could be let off into a pipe which conveyed it away. There was a small chain attached to this plug, by means of which it could be drawn up when any one wished to let the water off. The pitcher was made broad and flat at the bottom, and very heavy, so that it could not be easily upset; and then there was a socket for it in the lower part of the wash stand, which confined it effectually, and prevented its sliding about when the ship was rolling in a heavy sea.
The tumbler was secured in a more curious manner still. It was placed in a brass ring, which projected from the wall in a corner over the wash stand, and which was made just large enough to receive it. The soap dish and the brush tray were also placed in sockets cut to receive them in the marble slab, which formed the upper part of the wash stand. The looking glass was round, and was screwed to the wall by means of a stem and a ball or socket joint, in such a manner that it could be set in any position required, according to the height of the observer, and yet it could not by any possibility fall from its place. There were very few pegs or pins for hanging clothes upon, because, when clothes are thus hung, they are found to swing back and forth whenever the ship is rolling in a heavy sea, in a manner that is very tiresome and disagreeable for sick passengers to see. Nor were there many shelves about the state room; for if there had been, the passengers would be likely to put various articles upon them when the sea was smooth; and then, when the ship came to pitch and roll in gales of wind, the things would all slide off upon the floor. So instead of shelves there were pockets made of canvas or duck, several together, one above another. These pockets formed very convenient receptacles for such loose articles as the passengers might have in their state rooms, and were, of course, perfectly secure.
There were two shelves, it is true, in Jennie's state room,-one over each of the two wash stands,-but they were protected by a ledge about the edges of them, which would effectually prevent such things as might be placed upon them from sliding off.
By the time that Rollo and Jane had examined these things, a porter came into the state room, bringing their trunk upon his shoulder. Maria told the children that they had better open the trunk and take out all that they would be likely to require while on board, and then stow the trunk itself away under the lower berth, in one of the state rooms.
"Because," said she, "as soon as we get out upon the heavy seas we shall all be sick, and then we shall not wish to move to do the least thing."
"When will that be?" asked Jane.
"I don't know," replied Maria. "Sometimes we have it smooth for a good many days, and then there comes a head wind and makes it rough, and all the passengers get sick and very wretched."