“The lack of powder will excite no remark, after our five days’ uneasiness,” he muttered to himself. “Put your cap and fallals into your pocket, madam, lest they would be picked up and excite suspicion. Pray will one of you young gentlemen oblige Miss with a hat? Mine is hugely too large.”
Lieutenant Bellamy at once lent me his own hat, and tied a red silk handkerchief round his head, to give himself, as he said, a piratical air, such as might strike terror into our gaolers.
“Now has any of the seafaring gentlemen a watch-coat, or anything of the kind, with him?” asked the Captain.
“Why, look ye, sir,” says one of them, “we are fair roasted already with the heat. What should we want with watch-coats?”
“Will this serve your turn, Captain?” cries Mr Eyre, bringing forward a great travelling-cloak. “I thought it might be of use if we were forced to lie to-night in the open, or on a stone floor, but pray consider it your own if it’s to advantage Miss in any way.”
“You’re a friend in need, sir,” says the Captain, taking the cloak and wrapping it round me from the chin to the feet, so that not an inch of my white gown was anywhere visible. It happened most fortunately that I was not wearing a hoop, having laid it aside because it incommoded me in my care of my papa, so that I might very well pass for a boy in the dim light. The heat of the cloak was stifling, of course, but think, my dear, what was at stake!
“The prettiest young fellow in Calcutta!” says Mr Fisherton, who had been watching the transformation.
“Young gentleman,” says Captain Colquhoun sternly, seeing me shrink back, “is this the time for jests? Sure respect for the lady’s feelings should withhold you from such a freedom, if your own sense of fitness won’t do it.”
“On my honour, sir,” cried the young gentleman, “I sought but to cheer Miss with an assurance of the completeness of her disguise, so pray pardon me, madam, if I caused you pain.”
“You must stand here, madam, among these gentlemen and away from your papa,” says the Captain, leading me out of the corner. “Gentlemen, I need not ask you, I’m sure, to stand close round Miss.”