“Do ’ave a cup,” said the stewardess, persuasively.
The cups appeared at that moment inclined to “’ave” a little game of hide-and-seek, which the stewardess nimbly prevented by suddenly forming an obtuse angle with the floor, and following that action up with a plunge to starboard, and a heel to port, that was suggestive—at least to a landsman—of an intention to baptise Miss Pritty with hot tea, and thereafter take a “header” through the cabin window into the boiling sea! She did neither, however, but, muttered something about “’ow she do roll, to be sure,” and, seeing that her mission was hopeless, left the cabin with a balked stagger and a sudden rush, which was appropriately followed up by the door shutting itself with a terrific bang, as though it should say, “You might have known as much, goose! Why did you open me?”
“Laura, dear,” said Aileen, “did you hear what the captain said to some one just now in the cabin, when the door was open?”
“N–no,” replied Miss Pritty, faintly.
“I distinctly heard some one ask how fast we were going, but I could not make out his reply.”
“Oh!” exclaimed the other, brightening for a brief moment; “yes, I did hear him. He said we were going six knots. Now I do not understand what that means.”
“Did you mean that?” asked Aileen, turning her eyes languidly on her friend, while a faint smile flickered on her mouth.
“Mean what?” said Miss Pritty, in evident surprise.
“No, I see you didn’t. Well, a knot means, I believe, a nautical mile.”
“A notticle mile, Aileen; what is that?”