breaths of air which seemed scented with flowers. Indeed, there were flowers everywhere. Stalls were overflowing with brilliantly coloured blossoms, as well as baskets, embroidered bags, shawls and tablecloths and mats.
compamo and I thoi the Professor. I was honoured . and look, it has led to this. So call it a talk. That’s much more cosy. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling it will shock your parents. It’s about gruesome things like curses and tomb robbers. “
“People might enjoy hearing about that sort of thing rather than .. “
“I’m not letting it bother me. If they don’t like it that will be that. So… I refuse to allow preparations to overshadow my pleasure.
It’s the greatest good luck that we are travelling together. “
“It’s certainly pleasant for me.”
“We’re getting maudlin. It’s the wine perhaps. It’s good, isn’t it? We must buy a bottle to show our appreciation of the free sample.”
“I hope all the free samples make it worthwhile.”
“Must do, or they wouldn’t continue with the old custom, would they?
In the meantime it is very pleasant sitting here in this darkish room, on these uncomfortable stools, sipping their excellent Madeira wine.
”
Several of our fellow passengers came into the cellar. We called greetings to each other. They all looked as though they were enjoying the day.
Then a young man walked past our table, i “Oh hello,” said Lucas.
The young man paused.
“Oh,” said Lucas, “I thought I knew you.”
The young man stared at Lucas stonily and then I recognized him, which I had not done previously because he was not on this occasion wearing the overalls in which I had always seen him before. He was the young man who swabbed the decks in the morning.
“No,” he said.
“I don’t think …”
“Sorry. I just thought for the moment I’d met you somewhere.”
1 smiled and said: “You must have seen each other on board.”
The deck hand had drawn himself up rather tensely and was studying Lucas, I thought, with a hint of uneasiness.
“That must be it,” said Lucas.
The young man passed on and sat at a table in a dark corner of the cellar.
I whispered to Lucas: “He is one of the deck hands.”
“You seem to be acquainted with him.”
“I have met him on several mornings. I go up there to watch the sunrise and he comes round at that time swabbing the decks.”
“He doesn’t look like a deck-swabber.”
“That’s because he’s not in overalls.”
“Well, thanks for enlightening me. The poor chap seemed a bit embarrassed. I hope he enjoys the wine as much as I have done. Come on. Let’s buy a bottle to take back to the ship. Perhaps we’d better get two. We’ll drink it at dinner tonight.”
We bought the wine and came out into the sunshine.
Slowly we made our way back to the launch which would take us to the ship. On the quay we stopped at a stall and Lucas bought one of the bags for me. It was heavily embroidered with scarlet and blue flowers.
“A memento of a happy day,” he said.
“To say thank you for letting me share it with you.”
I thought how gracious and charming he was; he had certainly given me a happy day.
“I shall always remember it when I see this bag,” I told him.
“The flowers … the bullock carts and the wine …”
“And even the swabber of decks.”
“I shall remember every minute of it,” I assured him.
Friendship grows quickly at sea.
After Madeira we were in balmy weather with smooth seas. Lucas and I seemed to have become even firmer friends since our day ashore.
Without making arrangements we
met regularly on deck. He would seat himself beside me and we would talk desultorily as we watched the calm sea glide past.
He told me a great deal about himself, how he had broken the tradition in the family that one of the sons should have a career in the Army.
But it was not for him. He was not really sure what was for him. He was restless and travelled a
compamo and I thoi the Professor. I was honoured . and look, it has led to this. So call it a talk. That’s much more cosy. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling it will shock your parents. It’s about gruesome things like curses and tomb robbers. “
“People might enjoy hearing about that sort of thing rather than .. “
“I’m not letting it bother me. If they don’t like it that will be that. So… I refuse to allow preparations to overshadow my pleasure.
It’s the greatest good luck that we are travelling together. “
“It’s certainly pleasant for me.”
“We’re getting maudlin. It’s the wine perhaps. It’s good, isn’t it? We must buy a bottle to show our appreciation of the free sample.”
“I hope all the free samples make it worthwhile.”
“Must do, or they wouldn’t continue with the old custom, would they?
In the meantime it is very pleasant sitting here in this darkish room, on these uncomfortable stools, sipping their excellent Madeira wine.
”
Several of our fellow passengers came into the cellar. We called greetings to each other. They all looked as though they were enjoying the day.
Then a young man walked past our table, i “Oh hello,” said Lucas.
The young man paused.
“Oh,” said Lucas, “I thought I knew you.”
The young man stared at Lucas stonily and then I recognized him, which I had not done previously because he was not on this occasion wearing the overalls in which I had always seen him before. He was the young man who swabbed the decks in the morning.
“No,” he said.
“I don’t think …”
“Sorry. I just thought for the moment I’d met you somewhere.”
1 smiled and said: “You must have seen each other on board.”
The deck hand had drawn himself up rather tensely and was studying Lucas, I thought, with a hint of uneasiness.
“That must be it,” said Lucas.
The young man passed on and sat at a table in a dark corner of the cellar.
I whispered to Lucas: “He is one of the deck hands.”
“You seem to be acquainted with him.”
“I have met him on several mornings. I go up there to watch the sunrise and he comes round at that time swabbing the decks.”
“He doesn’t look like a deck-swabber.”
“That’s because he’s not in overalls.”
“Well, thanks for enlightening me. The poor chap seemed a bit embarrassed. I hope he enjoys the wine as much as I have done. Come on. Let’s buy a bottle to take back to the ship. Perhaps we’d better get two. We’ll drink it at dinner tonight.”
We bought the wine and came out into the sunshine.
Slowly we made our way back to the launch which would take us to the ship. On the quay we stopped at a stall and Lucas bought one of the bags for me. It was heavily embroidered with scarlet and blue flowers.
“A memento of a happy day,” he said.
“To say thank you for letting me share it with you.”
I thought how gracious and charming he was; he had certainly given me a happy day.
“I shall always remember it when I see this bag,” I told him.
“The flowers … the bullock carts and the wine …”
“And even the swabber of decks.”
“I shall remember every minute of it,” I assured him.
Friendship grows quickly at sea.
After Madeira we were in balmy weather with smooth seas. Lucas and I seemed to have become even firmer friends since our day ashore.
Without making arrangements we
met regularly on deck. He would seat himself beside me and we would talk desultorily as we watched the calm sea glide past.
He told me a great deal about himself, how he had broken the tradition in the family that one of the sons should have a career in the Army.
But it was not for him. He was not really sure what was for him. He was restless and travelled a
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