great danger."

"But it will be awfully rough?" said the gentleman.

The captain answered only by a sound between a groan and a whistle, as
if he could not trust himself to think of words that would describe the
roughness. There could be no doubt of his meaning. The ladies hastily
determined to drive back to their hotel, and gathered up their small
packages and wrappings quickly. I fancied they were regarding me
somewhat curiously, but I kept my face away from them carefully. They
could only see my seal-skin jacket and hat, and my rough hair; and they
did not speak to me.

"You are going to venture, miss?" said the captain, stepping into the
cabin as the ladies retreated up the steps.

"Oh, yes," I answered. "I am obliged to go, and I am not in the least
afraid."

"You needn't be," he replied, in a hearty voice. "We shall do our best,
for our own sakes, and you would be our first care if there was any
mishap. Women and children first always. I will send the stewardess to
you; she goes, of course."

I sat down on one of the couches, listening for a few minutes to the
noises about me. The masts were groaning, and the planks creaking under
the heavy tramp of the sailors, as they got ready to start, with shrill
cries to one another. Then the steam-engine began to throb like a pulse
through all the vessel from stem to stern. Presently the stewardess came
down, and recommended me to lie down in my berth at once, which I did
very obediently, but silently, for I did not wish to enter into
conversation with the woman, who seemed inclined to be talkative. She
covered me up well with several blankets, and there I lay with my face
turned from the light of the swinging lamp, and scarcely moved hand or
foot throughout the dismal and stormy night.

For it was very stormy and dismal as soon as we were out of Southampton
waters, and in the rush and swirl of the Channel. I did not fall asleep
for an instant. I do not suppose I should have slept had the Channel
been, as it is sometimes, smooth as a mill-pond, and there had been no
clamorous hissing and booming of waves against the frail planks, which I
could touch with my hand. I could see nothing of the storm, but I could
hear it: and the boat seemed tossed, like a mere cockle-shell, to and
fro upon the rough sea. It did not alarm me so much as it distracted my
thoughts, and kept them from dwelling upon possibilities far more
perilous to me than the danger of death by shipwreck.