The mate arrested the tumbler whose contents he was turning into his mouth to distend his lips in a grin, which he probably thought concealed.
'Why, I thought we were still in the river!' cried Mrs. Burke again.
The mate, picking up his cap, rose, contorted his square figure into a bow to us, and went up the companion-steps.
The motion of the vessel affected me. Mrs. Burke got a pillow and made me comfortable on the sofa, and, wrapping herself in a shawl, went on deck. She returned presently and said that the river had widened into a sea, with danger-lights sparkling here and there, and the full moon rising solemnly and beautifully upon the port bow. She hugged herself and said it was blowing fresh, and the ship under several breasts of canvas was chasing the little tug, which was splashing ahead as fast as she could go.
'We're doing between seven and eight miles an hour. Only think!' she cried. 'We shall be opening the lights of Margate very soon. To think of Margate and the sands and the shrimps, and us sailing past it to the other end of the world. How do you feel, my dear?'
I answered that I felt sick.
'You will suffer for a day or two,' said she, 'and then you'll take no more notice of it than I do. Hark! what is that?'
The sounds proceeded from Mr. Owen's cabin.
'They'll never get a cure for it,' said Mrs. Burke, looking in the direction of the doctor's berth.
I lay motionless, feeling very uncomfortable and ill. Mrs. Burke gave me some brandy and put toilet vinegar to my head. She advised me to go to bed, but I begged leave to rest where I was. The motion of the ship grew more lively the further she was towed towards the mouth of the river, where the weight of the field of water past the Forelands would dwell in every heave. At last, a little while after ten o'clock, I told Mrs. Burke I felt as if the fresh air would revive me, on which she wrapped me up in shawls and helped me on deck. She walked on firm legs with the ease of an old salt, whilst I so swung and reeled upon her arm that I must have fallen twenty times but for her support.