York
Bay. To the left lay the low and sombre buildings of Governor's Island;
to the right the prison-like pile of Ellis Island showed red in the
sunlight. On either side the shores fell away from us, leaving
Bartholdi's statue, for a brief moment, the dominant note in the scene.
Quickly we hurried by, and Black Tom, with his fringe of cranes and
stacks, his dark panoply of low-lying smoke, was revealed. Before us
uprose the wooded heights of Staten Island, and far down the Narrows a
glimpse of the blue Atlantic. A couple of tramp steamers, one with much
red paint on her bows, were coming up past us, and I noticed the Red
Ensign was flying from the poop. With large gestures Mr. Carville's arm
swept the horizon, indicating the salient points. Almost before I was
aware of it we were entering the ferry station and he was calling my
attention to the chimneys and buildings on the Communipaw shore.

"Now," said he, as we emerged upon the street, "your road lies down the
coast, but if you have an hour to spare, you might come over and look at
the ship. We'll take the trolley to New Brighton and ferry across from
there. But of course----"

"With pleasure," I said hastily. It occurred to me that I could do worse
than visit Mr. Carville's ship. We boarded a trolley-car.

"You see," said Mr. Carville, "I'm interested in Staten Island. In a way
it's very English. About a year ago I bought a lot up at Richmond
Bridge. The house will be ready in the spring and we'll move in. I've
had a fancy for a long while to have a home of my own. We did think of
buying in your part, but it's rather a long way for me, besides being
dear."

"You'll be leaving Van Diemen's Avenue?" I said. He nodded.

"Sure. The wife's not very anxious to stay out there. She's funny in
some ways. Thinks there's a prejudice against her."

"I assure you----" I began.

"Oh, I don't mean you, sir. She means in the stores. She's heard
things.... Women are quick to take offence. She has her own way of
living and it's a good way. We shouldn't like to feel we weren't wanted.
And you know, in your parts, there's a good deal of gentility creeping
in. I was reading the local paper last night.... Mrs. This and Mrs. That
entertaining to bridge, and so on! Humph!"

The car jingled and swayed round the corners, keeping close to the
shore, and pulled up with a jerk at New Brighton. Across the narrow belt
of water I could see the sterns of many ships.

"Here we are," said