“We do not know. We have not heard from Le for many months. When we last heard it was through a letter from him dated on board the United States ship Eagle, then about to sail under sealed orders. We are all, therefore, naturally very anxious,” replied Mr. Force.
“Ay! ay! These are anxious times for us all. But, at any rate, the man-of-war is safe from the pirates, who prey only on unarmed merchantmen. Hope the sealed orders were to go after the privateers—that is, pirates.”
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of the dinner gong, and passengers began to troop down from the deck to the dining saloon. Seasickness had not yet come on to take away their appetites.
The earl, who had been a silent, though interested, listener to the story of the old skipper, and who had his own private opinion of young Roland Bayard’s position in the pirate ship, arose and drew the arm of Rosemary within his own, to take her down to dinner.
Old Capt. Grandiere offered his to Mrs. Force. Mr. Force took his eldest daughter, and Wynnette made a manly bow and took Elva under her protection.
And so they went down to their first dinner on the Asia, and their last for several days, for a more stormy passage than that of the Asia which sailed on that March morning was never weathered by ocean steamer.
After dinner the old skipper went on deck to smoke his pipe alone.
The Forces went down into the ladies’ cabin, to look at their staterooms, arrange their effects, and get comfortably settled in their quarters before seasickness should overtake and disable them.
Our party occupied three staterooms in a row, on the right-hand side of the cabin as you entered it from the forward gangway.
Nearest the gangway was the stateroom of Mr. and Mrs. Force; next to that the one of Odalite and Elva; and last of the three was that of Rosemary and Wynnette.