Courts of Idleness Read Online Free Page B

peculiar interest. For them even the black weather had lost its sting.
    The Brokes appeared, making their way along the deck towards their cousins. As they came up:
    “At last,” said Betty. “Where have you been, you two?”
    “You may well ask,” said Robin aggrievedly.
    Fay Broke leaned on her brother’s shoulder and laughed helplessly.
    “If you could have seen him, darling,” she said.
    “Oh, very comic, believe me,” said Robin coldly. “Quite side-splitting. When I say that it was in an endeavour to unlock her cabin-trunk that I lay down upon the floor—”
    “But why didn’t you make Falcon—”
    “I’m coming to your handmaid in a minute,” said Robin. “It was she who was responsible for that most droll of moments, when my head was jammed between the trunk and the dressing case by her sudden opening of the door.”
    He stopped. Betty and Fay were shaking with shameless laughter.
    “Not her new dressing case?” said Fairie anxiously.
    Broke regarded him scornfully. Then:
    “Lubber (nautical),” he said.
    “Well, Fay and I are going down to have tea,” said Betty. “Are you coming?”
    “Tea?” said her husband. “Certainly not. I’m going to wait for the grog-tub. But don’t let me keep you. If you want me, I shall probably be on the larboard tack, slightly abaft the main hatch. Of course, that’s assuming the mizzen-shrouds aren’t – er – shrouded. In that case—”
    “I don’t expect they will be,” said Betty. “But I think you’d both better come. Even if you don’t want tea, you can see the steward about where we’re going to sit.”
    The idea seemed a good one, and the four descended to the saloon.
    The straight charge which Fairie laid upon the chief steward, that he should place them all four together and with nice neighbours, was not forgotten. When, one by one, they strolled – rather late and a little unsteadily – into the saloon for dinner, it was to find that they had been allotted seats at one of the side-tables, and that their companions consisted of a good-looking girl with drop-earrings, and an eminent King’s Counsel.
    “I’m not at all sure I like this motion,” said Betty, settling herself in her revolving chair.
    “It won’t last long,” said her husband briskly. “The breeze is freshening.”
    “Yes,” said Broke. “I expect the waves in the Bay’ll be wonderful. By the way, Bill, I don’t think those could have been rats you saw leaving the ship at Southampton.”
    “Will you be quiet?” said Betty. “The Bay’ll probably be like a mill-pond.”
    “You mustn’t expect too startling a resemblance,” said Fairie. “I mean, those of the passengers who are not unconscious can usually tell the difference.”
    “I wonder,” said Fay suddenly, “I wonder if Lester remembered to pack my–” Here the liner lurched somewhat heavily to port. “O-oh! That was a big one, wasn’t it?”
    “Only dropping the pilot,” said her brother. “What you felt was the recoil.”
    “Rubbish,” said Betty. “It’s getting rough.”
    “Rough,” said Fairie. “You rave, woman; this is nothing. Old salts would tell you we were becalmed. Isn’t that so?” he added pleasantly, appealing to the girl with the earrings.
    “I think you’re putting it rather high,” she said, with a smile. “All the same – well, we haven’t got the fiddles on, have we?”
    “I can see that you are a traveller,” said Fairie. “My women kind, poor fools, have lived such sheltered lives—”
    “Do you mind kicking him for that?” said Betty. “He’s got a bruise just above the right ankle.”
    The girl laughed merrily, while the ship heaved slowly upwards and then rolled slowly to port and starboard in turn.
    The man of law leaned forward.
    “I trust,” he said, addressing himself to Fairie, “that the statement which you made a few moments ago as to the breeze – er – freshening was without foundation.”
    “Wholly,” said Fairie.
    “That,