intrusive questioners, he would say he was going to America to see
Niagara Falls, Yellowstone Park, and visit an old collegemate of his,
also a physician.

During the silent meal in the hotel, the news came that the _Roland_
probably would reach the Needles at five o'clock, two hours earlier than
was expected. Frederick took his coffee and smoked some Simon Arzt
cigarettes with the German, who at the same time tried to do some
business in his trade, which was ready-made clothing. The two men,
carrying their luggage, then went to the tender together.

Here they had an uncomfortable hour's wait, while the low smoke-stack
belched black vapours into the dirty drab mist that lay oppressively
upon everything about the harbour. From time to time the sound of the
shovelling of coal arose from the engine-room. One at a time five or six
passengers came on board, porters carrying their luggage. The saloon was
nothing more than a glass case on deck, inside of which, below the
windows, a bench upholstered in red plush ran around the sides. At
irregular intervals the bench was heaped with disorderly piles of
luggage.

Everybody was taciturn. No one felt reposeful enough to settle in any one
place for a length of time. What conversation there was, was conducted in
a subdued, frightened sort of whisper. Three young ladies, one of whom
was the Englishwoman of the reading-room, unwearyingly paced up and down
the full length of the saloon. Their faces were unnaturally pale.

"This is the eighteenth time I have made the round trip," suddenly
declared the clothing manufacturer, unsolicited.