ended the gaieties at midnight.
The Band played ‘ God Save the Queen’ and they all stood to attention, after which they went to bed.
“I have enjoyed myself!” Heloise said, as Lydia helped her out of her gown. “If it could always be like tonight I would not mind the voyage going on for longer!”
“It has been as calm as a mill-pond,” Lydia answered.
Even as she spoke she felt the ship give a lurch and was aware that the wind was beginning to whistle through the shrouds.
She hoped Heloise had not noticed it, and because she was busy reciting all the many compliments she had received during the evening she got into bed without complaining.
By the time Lydia had reached her own cabin the ship was beginning to pitch and toss.
She thought with dismay that Heloise would be ill again and she would have to attend to her instead of, as she had hoped, being able to see the ship coming into port at Honolulu.
The wind was certainly getting up and by the time she was in bed the whole structure seemed to be creaking almost deafeningly, and her shoes, which she had not put away in the cupboard, were sliding backwards and forwards on the floor of her cabin.
She listened but could not hear Heloise calling for her and was sure therefore that she had not yet been disturbed.
‘It has been lovely weather up until now,’ she thought.
But she knew from her books that sudden squalls and very strong winds could get up at a moment’s notice around the Hawaiian Islands, and the weather could change, as one said—‘in the twinkling of an eye.’
“I am sure it will be calm again by tomorrow,” Lydia told herself consolingly.
Instead the wind seemed to be increasing and growing really violent.
She was however not frightened, thinking it impossible to feel anything but secure in a British Battleship.
Then quite suddenly there was a ringing of bells in a way that seemed almost deafening, and the sound of raised voices.
The next minute the door to her cabin burst open and a voice said:
“Fire! Get up on deck immediately!”
Lydia gave a cry of horror and jumped out of bed.
She groped her way in the darkness to the door and moved into Heloise’s cabin.
Her sister was sitting up in bed having been awakened in the same way, and she was screaming.
“What is happening? What is happening? Where is the fire?”
“It is all right, dearest,” Lydia said calmly. “But we have to go up on deck as we have been told to do.”
“I am ... frightened!”
“I know, but you will be quite safe! You may have to get into a small boat, but I am sure we are not far from land.”
“I shall drown—I know I shall!” Heloise wailed.
Even as she spoke the Earl’s authoritative voice said from the doorway:
“Hurry! I am waiting to take you up on deck. Put on a warm coat, but do not worry about anything else.”
Then Lydia heard her father say:
“I will go ahead to see that the boat is ready for the two girls.”
The way he spoke told Lydia all too clearly, that things were very serious.
chapter five
The Earl had a lantern with him, and while he lighted the cabin with it, Lydia opened the door of the wardrobe and groped amongst the clothes in it for Heloise’s sable coat.
By the time she had with difficulty found it, Heloise was screaming.
“I am not—going in a—small boat!” she cried. “I shall—drown in the—sea! I want to—stay here.”
The Earl did not speak and Lydia forced her sister’s arms into the arms of the coat as she said quietly: “You will be quite safe, Heloise, everybody will look after you.”
“I will not go—I will—not!” Heloise screamed and now her voice was completely hysterical.
Lydia looked towards the Earl.
“I think you will have to carry her.”
Still without saying anything he handed her the lantern and picked Heloise up in his arms.
For a moment she tried to struggle against him, then half-sobbing, half-screaming, she put her face against his shoulder.
He carried
The Band played ‘ God Save the Queen’ and they all stood to attention, after which they went to bed.
“I have enjoyed myself!” Heloise said, as Lydia helped her out of her gown. “If it could always be like tonight I would not mind the voyage going on for longer!”
“It has been as calm as a mill-pond,” Lydia answered.
Even as she spoke she felt the ship give a lurch and was aware that the wind was beginning to whistle through the shrouds.
She hoped Heloise had not noticed it, and because she was busy reciting all the many compliments she had received during the evening she got into bed without complaining.
By the time Lydia had reached her own cabin the ship was beginning to pitch and toss.
She thought with dismay that Heloise would be ill again and she would have to attend to her instead of, as she had hoped, being able to see the ship coming into port at Honolulu.
The wind was certainly getting up and by the time she was in bed the whole structure seemed to be creaking almost deafeningly, and her shoes, which she had not put away in the cupboard, were sliding backwards and forwards on the floor of her cabin.
She listened but could not hear Heloise calling for her and was sure therefore that she had not yet been disturbed.
‘It has been lovely weather up until now,’ she thought.
But she knew from her books that sudden squalls and very strong winds could get up at a moment’s notice around the Hawaiian Islands, and the weather could change, as one said—‘in the twinkling of an eye.’
“I am sure it will be calm again by tomorrow,” Lydia told herself consolingly.
Instead the wind seemed to be increasing and growing really violent.
She was however not frightened, thinking it impossible to feel anything but secure in a British Battleship.
Then quite suddenly there was a ringing of bells in a way that seemed almost deafening, and the sound of raised voices.
The next minute the door to her cabin burst open and a voice said:
“Fire! Get up on deck immediately!”
Lydia gave a cry of horror and jumped out of bed.
She groped her way in the darkness to the door and moved into Heloise’s cabin.
Her sister was sitting up in bed having been awakened in the same way, and she was screaming.
“What is happening? What is happening? Where is the fire?”
“It is all right, dearest,” Lydia said calmly. “But we have to go up on deck as we have been told to do.”
“I am ... frightened!”
“I know, but you will be quite safe! You may have to get into a small boat, but I am sure we are not far from land.”
“I shall drown—I know I shall!” Heloise wailed.
Even as she spoke the Earl’s authoritative voice said from the doorway:
“Hurry! I am waiting to take you up on deck. Put on a warm coat, but do not worry about anything else.”
Then Lydia heard her father say:
“I will go ahead to see that the boat is ready for the two girls.”
The way he spoke told Lydia all too clearly, that things were very serious.
chapter five
The Earl had a lantern with him, and while he lighted the cabin with it, Lydia opened the door of the wardrobe and groped amongst the clothes in it for Heloise’s sable coat.
By the time she had with difficulty found it, Heloise was screaming.
“I am not—going in a—small boat!” she cried. “I shall—drown in the—sea! I want to—stay here.”
The Earl did not speak and Lydia forced her sister’s arms into the arms of the coat as she said quietly: “You will be quite safe, Heloise, everybody will look after you.”
“I will not go—I will—not!” Heloise screamed and now her voice was completely hysterical.
Lydia looked towards the Earl.
“I think you will have to carry her.”
Still without saying anything he handed her the lantern and picked Heloise up in his arms.
For a moment she tried to struggle against him, then half-sobbing, half-screaming, she put her face against his shoulder.
He carried
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