with frantic inquiries. The Babel of tongues was deafening, and over
and above all the harassing rattle of the donkey engine lowering luggage
into the hold. And to swell the clamouring crowd, an endless procession
of cabs, driven by broad-hatted Malays, came dashing up to the jetty--
laden with passengers and band-boxes and bananas and other truck of
nondescript character.

Moving among the throng upon the ship's decks vere two ladies--one
elderly, plethoric, matronly; the other young, vivacious, tastefully
attired, and in short a very beautiful girl. Many a male glance was
cast at her, accompanied by an aspiration--spoken or unspoken--that she
was going to sail, and was not one of the "seeing-off" contingent.

"Don't you think, Violet," said the elder lady, "we'd better go down to
your cabin now? They'll have taken your luggage there by this time."

"Not yet, Mrs Aldridge. I can still see my brown portmanteau among
that heap for the hold. I want to see it go down myself, and be sure of
it. Besides, there must be some more of my things under that pile of
boxes."

"What a fine ship that New Zealand boat is!" said the old lady, looking
at a large steamer anchored out in the bay and surrounded by a swarm of
tiny craft, depleted or added to by a continuous string of boats between
it and the shore. She, too, was flying the blue peter.

"Isn't she!" acquiesced Violet. "She's the _Rangatira_, and is nearly a
thousand tons larger than the _Siberian_. I wonder if she'll be the
first to start. Ah! there goes my portmanteau. Now I think we may go
below."

The crowd in the saloon was not less dense than that on the decks,
certainly not less noisy. Champagne corks were popping in all
directions. Every table, every lounge was crowded. Stewards were
skurrying hither and thither with their trays of bottles and glasses,
steering their way with marvellous dexterity among the people, harassed
by a chorus of orders, expostulations, objurgations from expectant or
disappointed passengers. Groups were making merry, and pledging each
other in foaming bumpers, the "seeing-off" contingent in particular
making special play with the sparkling "gooseberry," all chattering,
talking, laughing. The din was deafening, but the two ladies managed to
thread their way through it at last.

"Well, it's quiet here, at any rate," said Violet, as they gained her
cabin, of which by favour she was to enjoy the sole possession. "Quiet,
b