“Is that necessary?” asked Robert, who was unused to traveling.
“No, it’s not necessary. Your ticket will entitle you to a comfortable berth, but in a stateroom you have greater privacy.”
“What is a stateroom?” asked our hero.
The clerk was rather surprised by this question, but decided that Robert was not accustomed to traveling and answered politely enough:
“It is very much like a room in a hotel, only much smaller. There is a berth and a washstand, and you can lock yourself in. There is greater security against robbery, for you hold the key and no one can enter it without your knowledge.”
As Robert carried considerable money belonging to Mr. Huet, he felt that he ought to take this precaution, if it were not too expensive.
“How much must I pay for a stateroom?” he asked.
“You can get a good one for a dollar.”
“Then I will take one.”
“Number fifty-six,” said the clerk, handing him a card with the number penciled on it. “What’s your name?”