FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  
50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>   >|  
and brass band, were lifted high on the mountain top of one wave and plunged deep in the trough of the next. The mighty working of the engines quivered through the ship. The dining-room walls had to cope with the onslaught of the opposing element. The electric lights were turned on full. The grey of the cloudy winter day did not suffice to illuminate the room, especially since what brightness there was outside was every instant shut off by the water splashing against the port-holes. Frederick enjoyed the daring of it--to be dining in festivity to the accompaniment of frivolous music in the illuminated bowels of this monster, this _Roland_. From time to time the mighty ship seemed on the point of encountering invincible resistance. A combination of opposing forces would rise up against the stem, producing the effect of a solid body, a veritable mountainside. At such moments the noise of the talking would die down, and many pale faces would exchange glances and turn to the captain or to the prow of the vessel. But Captain von Kessel and his officers were absorbed in their meal and paid no attention to the phenomenon, which for moments at a time brought the _Roland_ to a quivering standstill. They never looked up, but kept to their eating and talking, even when, as often happened, tremendous masses of water hurled themselves against the walls, threatening to crash through what seemed like pitifully thin partitions for excluding that mighty, wrathful element, thundering and roaring with suppressed hate and fury. During the meal Frederick's eyes were constantly drawn to Hahlstroem's tall figure. Though his hair was touched with grey, he was certainly still to be counted a handsome man. Next to him sat a man of about thirty-five, with a bushy beard, dark, bushy eyebrows, and dark, deep-set eyes, which sometimes darted a sharp, piercing glance at Frederick--at least so it seemed to Frederick. The man troubled him. He noticed that Hahlstroem graciously permitted the stranger to entertain him and pay him court. "Do you know that tall, fair-haired man, Doctor von Kammacher?" the physician asked. In his confusion Frederick failed to answer, looking helplessly at Doctor Wilhelm. "He is a Swede. His name is Hahlstroem," Doctor Wilhelm continued. "A peculiar fellow. Earlier in his life he made a mess of your and my profession. He is travelling with his daughter, not an uninteresting little miss. She's been dreadfully seasick,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  
50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Frederick

 

Hahlstroem

 

Doctor

 
mighty
 

moments

 

Roland

 

talking

 
Wilhelm
 

opposing

 

dining


element

 

pitifully

 
excluding
 

partitions

 

During

 
thirty
 

hurled

 

masses

 

threatening

 

wrathful


roaring
 

touched

 
Though
 

figure

 

constantly

 

handsome

 

suppressed

 

eyebrows

 
counted
 

thundering


permitted
 

Earlier

 

fellow

 

peculiar

 
continued
 

helplessly

 

dreadfully

 

seasick

 
uninteresting
 

profession


travelling

 

daughter

 

answer

 

failed

 
noticed
 

troubled

 

graciously

 

tremendous

 
stranger
 

darted