She took out a book as a protection, and read more continuously than she had done since Vanity Fair had come to the Holt, and she had been pleased to mark Honora’s annoyance at every page she turned.
But the July light faded, and only left her the poor amusement of looking over the side for the phosphorescence of the water, and watching the smoke of the funnel lose itself overhead. The
silent stars and sparkling waves would have set Phœbe’s dutiful science on the alert, or transported Honor’s inward ear by the chant of creation, but to her they were of moderate interest, and her imagination fell a prey to the memory of the eyes averted, and hand withdrawn. ‘I’ll be exemplary when this is over,’ said she to herself, and at length her head nodded till she dropped into a giddy doze, whence with a chilly start she awoke, as the monotonous jog and bounce of the steamer were exchanged for a snort of arrival, among mysterious lanes of sparkling lights apparently rising from the waters.
She had slept just long enough to lose the lovely entrance of Dublin Bay, stiffen her limbs, and confuse her brains, and she stood still as the stream of passengers began to rush trampling by her, feeling bewildered and forlorn. Her cousin’s voice was welcome, though over-loud and somewhat piteous. ‘Where are you, stewardess? where’s the young lady? Oh! Cilly, there you are. To leave me alone all this time, and here’s the stewardess saying we must go ashore at once, or lose the train. Oh! the luggage, and I’ve lost my plaid,’ and ghastly in the lamplight, limp and tottering, Rashe Charteris clasped her arm for support, and made her feel doubly savage and bewildered. Her first movement was to enjoin silence, then to gaze about for the goods. A gentleman took pity on the two ladies, and told them not to be deluded into trying to catch the train; there would be another in an hour’s time, and if they had any one to meet them, they would most easily be found where they were.
‘We have no one—we are alone,’ said Lucilla; and his chivalry was so far awakened that he handed them to the pier, and undertook to find their boxes. Rashe was absolutely subdued, and hung shivering and helpless on her cousin, who felt as though dreaming in the strange scene of darkness made visible by the bright circles round the lamps, across which rapidly flitted the cloaked forms of travellers presiding over queer, wild, caricature-like shapes, each bending low under the weight of trunk or bag, in a procession like a magic lantern, save for the Babel of shrieks, cries, and expostulations everywhere in light or gloom.
A bell rang, an engine roared and rattled off. ‘The train!’ sighed Horatia; ‘we shall have to stay here all night.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Lucy, ready to shake her; ‘there is another in an hour. Stay quiet, do, or he will never find us.’
‘Porter, ma’am—porrterr—’
‘No, no, thank you,’ cried Lucilla, darting on her rod-case and carriage-bag to rescue them from a freckled countenance with claws attached.
‘We shall lose everything, Cilla; that’s your trusting to a stranger!’