bargain. Of the sailing qualities of the Ella there could be no
question. The crew, selected by Captain Richardson from the best
men of the Turner line, knew their business, and, especially after
the Williams incident, made me one of themselves. Barring the odor
of formaldehyde in the forecastle, which drove me to sleeping on
deck for a night or two, everything was going smoothly, at least
on the surface.

Smoothly as far as the crew was concerned. I was not so sure about
the after house.

As I have said, owing to the small size, of the vessel, and the
fact that considerable of the space had been used for baths, there
were, besides the family, only two guests, a Mrs. Johns, a divorcee,
and a Mr. Vail. Mrs. Turner and Miss Lee shared the services of a
maid, Karen Hansen, who, with a stewardess, Henrietta Sloane,
occupied a double cabin. Vail had a small room, as had Turner, with
a bath between which they used in common. Mrs. Turner's room was a
large one, with its own bath, into which Elsa Lee's room also opened.
Mrs. Johns had a room and bath. Roughly, and not drawn to scale,
the living quarters of the family were arranged like the diagram in
chapter XIX.

I have said that things were not going smoothly in the after house.
I felt it rather than, saw it. The women rose late--except Miss Lee,
who was frequently about when I washed the deck. They chatted and
laughed together, read, played bridge when the men were so inclined,
and now and then, when their attention was drawn to it, looked at the
sea. They were always exquisitely and carefully dressed, and I looked
at them as I would at any other masterpieces of creative art, with