n.
Hephzibah and I learned to take it with the rest. She watched her
fellow-passengers, however, and as usual had something to say concerning
their behavior.

"Did you hear that, Hosy?" she whispered, as we sat together in the
"Lounge," sipping tea and nibbling thin bread and butter and the
inevitable plum cake. "Did you hear what that woman said about her
husband?"

I had not heard, and said so.

"Well, judgin' by her actions, I thought her husband was lost and she
was sure he had been washed overboard. 'Where is Edward?' she kept
askin'. 'Poor Edward! What WILL he do? Where is he?' I was gettin' real
anxious, and then it turned out that she was afraid that, if he didn't
come soon, he'd miss his tea. My soul! Hosy, I've been thinkin' and do
you know the conclusion I've come to?"

"No," I replied. "What is it?"

"Well, it sounds awfully irreverent, but I've come to the conclusion
that the first part of the Genesis in the English scriptures must be
different than ours. I'm sure they think that the earth was created in
six days and, on the seventh, Adam and Eve had tea. I believe it for an
absolute fact."

The pet illusion, the loss of which caused her the most severe shock,
was that concerning the nobility. On the morning of our first day afloat
the passenger lists were distributed. Hephzibah was early on deck.
Fortunately neither she nor I were in the least discomfited by the
motion of the ship, then or at any time. We proved to be good sailors;
Hephzibah declared it was in the blood.

"For a Knowles or a Cahoon to be seasick," she announced, "would be a
disgrace. Our men folks for four generations would turn over in their
graves."

She was early on deck that first morning and, at breakfast she and I had
the table to ourselves. She had the passenger list propped against the
sugar bowl and was reading the names.

"My gracious, Hosy!" she exclaimed. "What, do you think! There are five
'Sirs' on board and one 'Lord'! Just think of it! Where do you suppose
they are?"

"In their berths, probably, at this hour," I answered.

"Then I'm goin' to stay right here till they come out. I'm goin' to see
'em and know what they look like if I sit at this table all day."

I smiled. "I wouldn't do that, Hephzy," said I. "We can see them at
lunch."

"Oh! O--Oh! And there's a Princess here! Princess
B-e-r-g-e-n-s-t-e-i-n--Bergenstein. Princess Bergenstein. What do you
suppose she's Princess of?"

"Princess of Jerusalem