ls of the vessel,
at their head the captain, and among them the purser and the physicians,
were gathered about the corpse.

Captain von Kessel ordered the stoker's death to be kept secret,
particularly requesting the two physicians not to mention it. Formalities
had to be gone through, documents had to be drawn up and signed. This
kept them busy until dark, when the first call for dinner was trumpeted
across the deck and through the gangways of the first-class section.

XXVIII

Frederick went to his cabin and removed the grey suit he had worn in
the purgatory of the stoke-hole. He put on striped trousers, a black
waistcoat, and black frock coat. By the time he appeared in the
dining-room, a lively procession of brilliant toilettes was already
making its way there. Almost all the ladies of the first class came
rustling in. Frederick from his seat observed that many of them had
to stop for an instant at the doorway to pluck up their courage. Then,
with a charmingly humorous smile, they would conquer their dread of
seasickness, particularly threatening in the dining-room, and step over
the threshold.

Save for the slight quiver that ran through the walls and ceilings of the
whole vessel, its motion was scarcely perceptible. The music began, and
the swarm of stewards in livery, who came hurrying in, could serve each
guest with a full plate of soup without need of balancing.

"A full-dress dinner," said the captain with a contented glance about the
room as he seated himself.

Fish was already being served when Ingigerd entered on the arm of the
very ungainly and very ordinary looking Achleitner. At the sight of her
absurd get-up, Frederick felt like sinking through the floor. The barber
had piled her beautiful light hair into a fearful mountain of puffs, and
about her narrow shoulders she wore a Spanish shawl, as if to represent
Carmen--a very pitiful Carmen, who provoked jeers and jibes from one end
of the table to the other.

"What deadly green stockings!" Frederick thought, as he choked down a
piece of fish with the bones in it.

"Why in the name of sense does she wear those bronze slippers?"

"Some chalk, please, for the lady," said one man. "She is going to dance
the tight rope for us."

Mischievous looks and remarks flew about the table. Both the ladies and
the gentlemen choked over their fish or wine and had to hold their
napkins to their lips. Not all of their remarks were pronounced _sotto
voce_