The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-14 00:00:00

EVE AT THE WhiaiLi

G. MANVILLE FENN.
4ulhor of " Ship Ahoy," "Dutch, the Diver,* "The
Foundry Belle," #O.,

CHAPTER 111.
01 HELLO.

torsrNaassamn in the cabin, and Othello full of
plaints.
"Golly, Mass' Laurent, sah, she great she-griffin,
ash. She shy de tater at me, Bah, and oee hit ire
he-ah."
The speaker was Othello, otherwise "1 hello, the
black cook of the Zenobia, who had come to make
his complaint to the first officer al out the trcatnuet
he had received from one of the emigrant fassengers;
in proof of whieh he held his head on one sifb., and
lowed a quantity of mealy potato matted iii his
Nvooi y leas.
" But it didn't hurt much, 'Mao, hitting you
there ? " said Laurent, seriously.
" No, sah," said the cook, stiffly—" no, sah ; bet
saiga.,:er have some dignity, sah."
" And that's where the wound is, then, oh,
flillo?" said I aurent, very gravely; thoirei the
captain and Mr. Helston could not avoid a
" Yes, sah, in him dignity, sah. Thing cue to
debble of a pass, when great she-horse alligator of a
Woman like dat take to frow de tater at de cook."
" ra speak to the matron about it,' said I am ent,
(sravely.
" Dat no manner o'kind ob use, sah, she frow the
tater right afore the matrum, sah. De matrurn am
)fraid oh her, like all the rest of the passenger gal.
She great bull-hoss woman, sah; and scruff Dick
Jones on de ear todder day 'cause he laugh at her."
"I'm afraid she is rather an exceptional strong-
minded woman, Othello," said Laurent. "I'll talk to
her myself."
" Lookye, heah, den, sah; you take care, sah, or
she play the debble wid you. She ought to he
Chained up, or else the doctor gib her something keep
her quiet. Hyah-yah— heyah ! '
Othello burst into a hoarse laugh, and showed his
glistening rows of ivories.
• " How did the row begin, 'Thello?" said Laurent.
"Why, sah, I babe send de tater down to ea, is
iness for de dinner, and den I frow myself bank
to breeve a minute. Den Igoto de little colp(r in
de galley, and take out the odor tater for the cabin
dinner; and lam busy peel and mash 'ern up, when
der come a 'clipse ober de door, and de great 1 cill-
alligator woman come wid a tin of tater, and look at
Lae as if she go eat me, and say, ' He-ah, you niggah,
what de debble you mean?"
" No no, Othello, she did not say that surely?"
said Mr. Helston, laughing.
"Well, sah," said the black, "I's not quite snah
She did say debble ; but she in a debble of a passion,
which am 11 de same; and she say, What you no an
Bend tater down below on'y good for de pigs ' "
• "I say, 'Madam Burrow, I 'sure you the tater am
bean'ful./
"'You 'fernal niggah,' she say."
7 "No, no, not infernal, 'Thello," said Laurent.
"I tank you sah—l not quite sure abou;, that
needer ; but she say niggah, sah; and I fink it
'dirty niggah, de tater am not half wash, half peel,
half cook, and I frow them at your dirty head.'
" Madam,' I say, ' dat is great insult to the co,,k
in him own galley. Dem words tick in my fro.it.'
" What's dem tater I"' she say, an' she point to de
dish I mash for de cabin.
"1 .say,'Pat's for de genlum in de cabin;' and
she toy, Ha, ha!' and 'Ho, ho ! For de lord ob
creashum !' And den she say, 'Gib me de dish :'
"I could not tand dat, sah, and I draw him away,
and I say, Nebbah !'
"Den, Bah, she take de tater out of de tin, and she
frow dem at me one by one, and I duck down and
dodge, but one hit dis chile, sah, right on de side of
de head, sah, and it hurt my dignity, Bah. Den she
go."
"Were the potatoes good, Othello ?" said the
captain.
" Lu'ably, sah—l eat 'em all myself, and not
grumble; but dat nooseros woman, sah, she always
grumble—grumble, 'cause she see de things go into
de cabin, and she tink she ought to hab fie-s taste,
Bah."
"Wll, well, 'Thello," said the captain. "She
shall be spoken to. Don't take any notice; it w,s
orliy a woman."
"No, sah, dat am it," said Othello, earnestly. " f
little lbly woman frow de tater, dis chile nel.l,er
lay a word; but she not a woman, she great
,cock
butilow, and knock a niggah down soon as lonic at
him; and dis chile feel hurt, bery hurt indeed."
" Well, I must say this for our friend Othello,'
_said Helston—"the c -.king for the cabin is excellent.
Captain, a little wore , "
. Sah, Ido my bess, sa Othello, bowing.
"Yes, I think we've the best cook on the line,"
said the captain. "Laurent, a little more chicken."
"You find de chickum done to your liking, sah ?"
said Othello, who still lingered in the cabin.
"Done to a turn, 'Thello," said the captain,
gravely.
"I berry glad, sah," said 'Thello. "Smith," he
continued, to the steward, who was waiting at tab'e,
"1 hab more graby in de galley if de I Jnlum want
"I say the cooking is superb," said Laurent.
"Mass' Lauren', I tink you laugh at de cook, sah,"
said Othello.
"I don't laugh at the chicken, then, °thole,"
said Laurent, helping himself to more.
"I berry glad you satisfy, genlum. I do my berry
Dem, Nth. You like college pudding dinner to-mor-
row, pall ? I make you one."
",By all means, 'Thello," said urent.
The cook stood and smiled a g d smile, the unc-
tion he was receiving doing wont.. to his wounded
dignity.
"I tink, Mass' Laurent, sah," he said, backing
now towards the door, "I go take up de pudding.
11 you come in five minutes."
The steward nodded shortly.
"An' sah," continued 'I hello, "1 tink, at? all, dat
Woman not worf notice."
"Quite right, Othello, quite right," said f emeriti
lisriously. "But I'll get Mrs. Kent to take a pull or
two at her sheet."
"I hope so, sah, if it do her good; but I Ulric
Ilature made mistake ober her, somehow. E..;he nebber
get no htisban' ober dab. Hy-yah, by yah, hy-
!
Othello's laugh filled the cabin, and then echoed
41, ong the deck, to bo beard afterwards amongst his
O• ilers and pots; for his wounded dignity was now
healing fast.
, When the steward had left the cabin, the conversa-
tion turned on Deborah Burrows, and her strong-
kinded ways.
, "I tell you what it is, captain," said the doctor,
laughing, I should feel almost nervous if I were in
Youvhace."
y ?" said the captain, smiling.
"For fear this Deborah should risern her strength,
With her three hundred amazons, and seize the ship,
Place us all under hatches, and hoist the black flag
Of fTOOdOra."
"By Jove !" said Laurent, "don't drop a hint of
i. 461 or she'll be making us all walk the plank. I be-
'°'e that woman to possess impudence enough for
1114 thing"
Charles • Helston thought so too; but he said
Itlothing, only walked on deck, and arter gazing over
~,13 wide waters for a few minutes, he went amid-
to have a chat with the matron, and see a few
Cd hie patient, who were unwell.
Netab!y, he looked out for Grace Monroe; but she
wlght sight of him, and went below. Mary Dance
however, on deck, and he asked her of her
friend's state.
a She went down as soon as she saw me coming,"
t Said Ralston in rather an injured tone, which, how-
'la', he changed on the instant, and felt vexed with
-uallelf for what he considered his childishness.
" Yes, sir, she generally does," said Mary, quietly.
" And why ? " said Helston.
'Don't like you I think," said Mary, quietly;
44d, she looked full at the young doctor as she
!Peke.
s"
Don't like me ?" he said. "Why, I have been
Ifiest kind to her, poor girl."
.4'That's just it, sir," said Mary, nodding her head
i7141m- "She don't like anybody to take notice of
her way. Perhaps it's because she don't
wco Physic."
_tielston uttered an impatient exclamation, and
limited, on.
kIL don't always feel like a doctor towards hcr, I
01:47'sy, said Mary to herself; "and so does she know,
c'ltigh she don't say a word about it. 11-es gone to
after her," she said, half aloud, as she watclicd
12 Motions; "and there goes Madame Burrows to
73' the spy, and—
; What ever are you talking about ?" said a voice
'4l above her head.
'uld, glancing upwards, there was Laurent, perched
oft on the rails, enjoying a pipe.
" I Was talking to myself, sir,' said Mary, quietly,
id you had no business to listen."
But you were talking just under me, and I
%tad not help hearing."
kill' Then you oughtnot to havetalked to me again,"
:4 Mary. "What would the matron say?"
Nothing whatever," replied Laurent. "Because
kt laws are made for the governance of the emi-
Zo',nts, and to keep the sailors from being obtrusive,
den t suppose thatthey were to interfere with a
,Bant litttle chat such as I should like to have
-,La Lou ra
I )on't know, I'm sure," said Mary, shortly.
the eyes that gazed up were kinder in their
" than the words uttered, so Laurent went on.
you comfortable, Mary—Miss Dance i" he
a/4r u seem to have got my name very pat," said
„Yp with a toss of her head.
wel "t" said Laurent, with a mischievous look—
'were talking about you in the cabin."
"rh
retoea r you might have been better employed,"
CC ted mary„
. ,
-1 at s what we thought about your behaviour to
vil'(:)tli alle with the potatoes."
'"arY
_Started,and turned crimson.
Vw) You didn't 'hink, Mr. Laurent—"
oil seem to have got my name very pat," said
'4-Cal with a malfolo, twinkle of the eye.