elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第2部分

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e；　too。
　〃Why　have　you　got　yourself　up　so　formally？〃　he　demanded。　〃No　one　will　dress　for　dinner　tonight；　the　sea　is　too　rough。〃
　〃It　is　necessary　to　keep　up　appearances；　especially　in　times　such　as　these。　Have　you　forgotten　the　date？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Emerson；　in　…　I　could　only　suppose　…　a　desperate　attempt　to　forestall　my　suggestion　that　he　assume　evening　dress。　Emerson　dislikes　the　confinement　of　tightly　fitting　garments；　and　I　would　be　the　first　to　admit　that　his　impressive　form　never　shows　to　better　advantage　than　when　he　is　attired　in　the　wrinkled　flannels　and　open…necked　shirts　he　wears　on　the　dig。　I　felt　obliged　to　persevere；　however。
　〃It　is　December　the　thirty…first；　Emerson。　We　must　toast　the　New　Year　and　pray　that　1917　will　bring　better　hopes。〃
　〃Bah；〃　said　Emerson。　〃It　is　an　artificial　distinction　with　no　meaning。　The　only　significance　of　January　the　first　is　that　we　will　be　one　day　closer　to　Alexandria。　You　are　fine　enough　for　both　of　us。　That　gown　bees　you；　my　love。　Is　it　new？〃
　It　was　not；　and　he　knew　it　…　at　least　I　think　he　did　…　it　is　difficult　to　be　certain　with　Emerson；　since　he　remains　happily　oblivious　to　things　one　expects　him　to　notice；　and　sees　things　one　hopes　he　will　not。
　A　glance　in　the　mirror　gave　me　little　in　the　way　of　confirmation　of　his　pliment；　for　my　image　was　distorted　by　movement　and　shadow。　However；　I　know　my　own　appearance　well　enough　…　a　form　perhaps　slightly　more　rounded　than　in　the　distant　past；　a　rather　too　prominent　chin；　eyes　of　steely　gray；　and　black　hair　that　is　long　and　thick　but　not　sleekly　shining；　despite　the　hundred　strokes　of　a　brush　it　receives　each　evening。　（In　the　pages　of　my　private　journal　I　will　confess　that　its　color　owes　a　little　something　to　art　rather　than　to　nature。　Emerson　is　unaware　of　this　small　deception　and　I　have　seen　no　reason　to　enlighten　him。）　In　short；　beautiful　I　am　not　…　except　in　the　eyes　of　my　husband。
　Softened　by　this　touching　thought；　I　smiled　affectionately　at　him。　〃No；　Emerson；　you　would　be　the　only　person　not　in　evening　dress。　On　this　occasion　especially　it　is　necessary　to　display　a　stiff　upper　lip　and　…〃
　〃Damnation！〃　Emerson　shouted。
　With　my　assistance　and　a　good　deal　of　grumbling；　he　did　as　he　was　told。　He　then　offered　me　his　arm；　and　the　remnants　of　his　ill　humor　vanished　as　I　clung　tightly　to　it。　Emerson　likes　me　to　cling　to　him。　I　do　not　do　it　often；　but　I　doubt　I　could　have　kept　my　footing　that　night　without　his　support。
　We　had　not　seen　much　of　our　fellow　passengers；　of　whom　there　were　far　fewer　than　in　the　happy　past。　The　inclement　weather　had　kept　most　persons　in　their　bunks。　Thanks　to　the　judicious　application　of　whiskey　and　soda；　which　is；　among　other　things；　an　excellent　remedy　for　mal　de　mer；　we　had　been　unaffected；　but　there　was　little　pleasure　in　walking　the　deck　in　a　howling　gale。
　More　people　than　usual　were　at　dinner　that　evening。　The　celebration　of　the　New　Year　was　no　doubt　the　occasion；　but　few　of　them　looked　as　if　they　were　in　a　mood　to　celebrate。　The　tightly　curtained　windows　of　the　dining　saloon　were　a　silent　reminder　of　war；　and　the　ship　kept　rolling　about　in　a　disconcerting　fashion。　Perhaps；　I　thought　hopefully；　submarines　do　not　sail　in　bad　weather。　I　must　remember　to　ask　someone。
　The　others　were　already　at　our　table；　as　we　wove　a　somewhat　erratic　path　toward　them；　Ramses　rose；　balancing　lightly　with　a　hand　on　the　back　of　his　chair。　I　was　pleased　to　see　that　he　was　properly　attired　in　black　tie　and　that　Nefret　looked　particularly　lovely　in　the　soft　shade　of　blue　that　matched　her　eyes　and　set　off　her　red…gold　hair。　The　fifth　member　of　the　party　was　tightly　wedged　between　them；　in　order　to　prevent　her　from　flying　off　her　chair。　Sennia　should　have　been　in　her　cabin　with　Basima；　her　nurserymaid；　for　the　hour　was　late　for　a　seven…year…old；　but　Basima　did　not　feel　well；　and　Sennia　had　wanted　to　be　with　Ramses　on　this　special　occasion　…　and　she　had　got　her　own　way；　as　she　often　did。
　It　was　not　surprising　that　many　people　believed　my　nephew's　child　to　be　Ramses's　illegitimate　daughter；　for　she　had　my　dark　gray　eyes　and　his　coloring。　Ramses　had　always　looked　more　like　an　Egyptian　than　an　English　person：　wavy　black　hair；　black　eyes　and　thick　lashes；　skin　several　shades　darker　than　is　mon　in　our　island。　（I　cannot　explain　this；　and　I　see　no　reason　why　I　should　be　obliged　to　do　so。）　His　looks　are　very　pleasing；　and　I　assure　the　reader　that　his　fond　mother　has　not　been　the　only　female　to　think　so。
　He　seated　himself　somewhat　hastily　and　caught　Sennia　as　she　slipped　sideways。　She　let　out　a　high…pitched　laugh；　which　sounded　very　loud　in　the　subdued　air　of　the　saloon。　Several　persons　looked　and　smiled；　several　others　frowned　disapprovingly；　but　that　peal　of　childish　laughter　had　unquestionably　relieved　some　of　the　tension　that　filled　the　room。
　〃Enjoying　this；　Little　Bird？〃　Emerson　inquired　fondly。
　〃Oh；　yes；　it's　great　fun　bouncing　up　and　down。　And　if　I　spill　soup　in　my　lap　Aunt　Amelia　cannot　say　it　is　my　fault。〃　She　gave　me　a　cheeky　grin；　and　I　smiled　back　at　her；　glad　she　was　too　young　to　share　the　uneasiness　that　affected　the　rest　of　us。　We　had　thought　long　and　hard　about　exposing　her　to　the　perils　of　the　voyage　instead　of　leaving　her　in　the　tender　care　of　Walter　and　Evelyn；　but　Sennia　had　not　thought　about　it　at　all；　she　had　simply　assumed　she　would　e　along；　and　any　attempt　to　prevent　her　would　have　led　to　consequences　that　were　loud　and　unpleasant。　Emerson　could　not　bear　to　see　her　cry；　and　the　little　witch　knew　it。　She　had　e　into　our　lives　under　circumstances　that　were　painful　to　recall　even　now；　but　what　a　joy　she　was　to　us　all！　She　was　quite　like　a　grandchild　。　。　。　the　only　one　。　。　。　thus　far　。　。　。
　Nefret　caught　me　staring　at　her　and　the　color　in　her　face　deepened。　〃Yes；　Mother？〃　she　inquired。　〃Is　there　a　smudge　on　my　nose？〃
　〃Why；　no；　my　dear。　I　was　just　thinking　how　that　shade　of　blue　bees　you。〃
　The　subject　was　one　into　which　no　person　of　sensibility　could　properly　probe；　and　I　felt　certain　I　would　be　the　first　to　be　informed。
　After　Ramses；　of　course。
　A　great　deal　of　soup　was　spilled；　and　not　only　by　Sennia。　Most　of　the　diners　stuck　it　out　until　the　end；　however；　and　after　Sennia　had　finished　the　light　meal　which　was　all　I　allowed　her；　she　began　to　fidget　and　look　round。　How　she　had　got　to　know　so　many　of　the　other　passengers　I　could　not　imagine；　since　we　had　never　let　her　out　of　our　sight；　but　her　waves　and　smiles　were　acknowledged　by　several　persons。　One　was　a　tall　gray…haired　gentleman　whom　I　had　seen　once　or　twice　on　deck；　his　forbidding　face　broke　into　a　smile　and　he　waved　back。　Sennia　received　an　even　more　energetic　response　from　a　man　seated　at　the　captain's　table。　He　had　a　round　face；　as　red　and　wrinkled　as　a　well…preserved　winter　apple；　and　he　bobbed　up　and　down　in　his　chair；　waving；　until　the　young　man　next　to　him　put　a　restraining　hand　on　his　arm。　He　was　as　stiff　as　the　older　man　…　his　father？　…　was　friendly。　Eyeglasses　gave　him　a　scholarly　look；　but　he　was　dressed　with　foppish　elegance；　every　hair　in　place。
　〃Who　are　they？〃　I　asked　Sennia。
　〃They　are　Americans。　Can　I　have　an　ice？〃
　〃May　I　have　an　ice。　Yes；　you　may。〃
　〃Is　the　lady　his　wife？〃　Nefret　asked。　〃Goodness；　look　at　that　frock；　and　the　diamonds；　and　the　rubies。〃
　〃Vulgarly　large；〃　I　said　with　a　sniff。
　〃I　think　they　are　very　beautiful；〃　said　Miss　Sennia。　〃She　let　me　look　at　them　one　day　…　it　was　in　the　saloon　…　but　only　because　Mr。　Albion　told　her　to。　She　is　not　as　nice　as　he　is；　and　their　son　is　not　nice　at　all。〃　She　took　firm　hold　of　the　bowl　and　dug　her　spoon　into　the　pink　mound。　〃Mr。　Albion　wanted　to　meet　you；　but　I　told　him　you　did　not　meet　people。〃
　〃Good　girl；〃　said　Emerson　approvingly。
　Between　bites　Sennia　told　us　about　the　gray…haired　gentleman；　who　was　going　out　to　join　a　firm　in　Alexandria；　and　about　several　of　the　other　passengers。　The　storm　began　to　subside；　the　howls　of　the　wind　were　not　so　loud；　the　motion　not　quite　so　violent；　but　I　believe　we　were　all　relieved　when　the　attendants　came　round　with　champagne　and　the　captain　rose　to　propose　a　toast。　It　was　somewhat　long…winded。　I　remember　only　the　end。
　〃To　the　health　of　His　gracious　Majesty　and　to　victory　in　1917！〃
　Somehow　I　was　not　surprised　to　hear　a　familiar　voice　amend　the　statement。　〃To　peace；〃　said　Ramses。　We　drank　to　that。
　
　As　it　turned　out；　we　reached　Alexandria　without　being　torpedoed；　and　were　met　by　Selim　and　Daoud。　Selim　had　replaced　his　father　Abdullah　as　our　reis；　or　foreman；　he　and　his　Uncle　Daoud；　like　Abdullah's　other　relations；　were　as　close　as　family；　and　valued　assistants　in　all　our　endeavors。　They　assisted　us　in　resuscitating　poor　Basima　and　Gargery；　our　butler；　who　had　suffered　horribly　from　seasickness　the　entire　time；　and　Sennia's　cat；　who　had　not　been　seasick　but　whose　normally　bad　temper　was　even　more　strained　by　long　confinement　in　a　room　that　was　in　constant　motion。　It　would　have　been　impossible　to　leave　the　nasty　beast　behind　because　Sennia；　and；　to　a　lesser　degree；　Nefret；　were　the　only　persons　who　could　control　him。　Horus　was　the　only　cat　with　us　that　year。　Seshat；　Ramses's　erstwhile　panion　and　guardian；　had　given　up　a　professional　career　for　domesticity。　Perhaps　she　felt　she　could　now　trust　Nefret