4 Travels and Adventures 



lady was that of father and daughter, or guardian 

 and ward. Imagine my surprise when at lunch-time 

 I heard bald-headed Mr. Sharpies inquire, " Can I 

 help you to a little of this fish, Mrs. Sharpies ? " As 

 I looked across the table I thought I detected a slight 

 shrug of the fair shoulders, and the melancholy of the 

 melancholy eyes intensify. There might be some- 

 thing of sorrow hid behind so extraordinary a union ! 

 However, all the explanation that ever I had was 

 contained in the underside of the lid of a work-basket, 

 where, accidentally, I saw stitched, in letters of com- 

 fort, " Better be an old man's darling than a young 

 man's slave." 



As we steamed slowly away from land each one on 

 board seemed to linger on deck to watch the grey line 

 of cliffs grow more faint and undistinguishable until 

 finally nothing was left to us of Old England but 

 cherished recollections — and night throwing her dusky 

 mantle over all, those who could began to seek asylum 

 in their cabins, glad to escape from the weariness of 

 a long day's excitement, the beautiful calm of the sea 

 reassuring even the most timid. And now, for the 

 benefit of those who are not accustomed to ship's bed- 

 room furniture, let me endeavour to describe that 

 in use on the Phantom. The bedsteads, commonly 

 dubbed with the unceremonious titles of bunks, are 

 really large shelves, two in each room, one placed 



