Rollo in Paris Part 3

"Let's go there," said Rollo.

"That would take more than half an hour," replied Mr. George.

"Well, at any rate, let's go on board the steamer," said Rollo.

So, taking Mr. George by the hand, he led him along to the brink of the pier. Mr. George looked over, and saw the steamer lying at rest in its muddy bed below.

"Is it possible?" said Mr. George, in a tone of great astonishment.

"Can it be possible?" repeated Mr. George.

"What?" inquired Rollo. "What is it that surprises you so much?"

"Why, to find such a steamer as this for the travel on one of the great thoroughfares between England and France. Let's go down on board."

So Mr. George led the way, and Rollo followed down the plank. The plank landed them on the top of the paddle box. From that place, a few steps led to the deck. They walked along the deck a short distance toward the stern, and there they found a door, and a small winding staircase leading down into the cabin. They descended these stairs, one before the other, for the s.p.a.ce was not wide enough to allow of their going together; and when they reached the foot of them they found themselves in a small cabin, with one tier of berths around the sides. The cabin was not high enough for two. There were berths for about twenty or thirty pa.s.sengers. The cabin was very neatly finished; and there was a row of cus.h.i.+oned seats around it, in front of the berths. In one corner, by the side of the door where Mr. George and Rollo had come in, was a small desk, with writing materials upon it. This Rollo supposed must be the "captain's office."

While Mr. George sat surveying the scene, and mentally comparing this insignificant boat to the magnificent steamers on the Hudson River, in America, with their splendid and capacious cabins on three different decks, their promenade saloons, sometimes one hundred and fifty feet long, with ranges of elegant state rooms on either hand, and sofas, and couches, and _tete-a-tetes_ without number, in the middle, his perplexity increased.

"I do not understand it at all," said he to Rollo. "I thought that there would at least be as much travelling between London and Paris, the two greatest cities in the world, as between New York and Albany. And yet there are half a dozen steamers every day on the North River, carrying from five hundred to one thousand pa.s.sengers; while here, on the most direct and cheapest route between London and Paris, is one single steamer, that could not possibly carry one hundred pa.s.sengers, and she only goes once in two days."

Just then a young man, who seemed to be the clerk of the boat, came down the cabin stairs, and, seeing Mr. George and Rollo there, he asked them if they had taken their berths. They said that they had not; but they immediately proceeded to choose their berths, or rather their _places_, for there were no divisions separating the sleeping-places from each other except what was formed by the cus.h.i.+ons. There was a long cus.h.i.+on for each sleeper, covered with crimson velvet or plush; and a round cus.h.i.+on, shaped like a bolster, and covered in the same way, for his head. On these cus.h.i.+ons the pa.s.sengers were expected to lie down without undressing, placing themselves in a row, head to head, and feet to feet.

Mr. George chose two of these sleeping-places, one for himself, and the other for Rollo, and the clerk marked them with a ticket.

Our two travellers then went up on deck again, and from the deck they ascended the plank to the pier. It was now nearly sunset, and it was a very pleasant evening. They sauntered slowly along the pier, until they came to a place where some steps led down to the water. There were several small boats at the foot of the steps, and in one of them was a man doing something to the rudder. Rollo saw that on the other side of the water was another long staircase leading down from the bank there, so as to form a landing-place for small boats at all times of tide. He also looked up and down the harbor, but he could see no bridge, and so he supposed that this must be a sort of ferry for the people who wished to cross from one side to the other.

As soon as the man who was in the boat saw Mr. George and Rollo standing upon the pier, he rose up in his boat, and touching his hat at the same time, or rather making a sort of jerk with his hand, which was meant to represent a touch of the hat, he asked him if he would like to be rowed across to the other side.

"Why, I don't know," said Mr. George. "What's the ferriage?"

"That's just as the gentleman pleases," said the man, with another jerk at his hat.

"And how much do they generally please?" said Mr. George. "What's the common custom?"

"O, gentlemen gives us what they likes," said the man. "We always leaves it to them entirely."

Mr. George was silent. After a moment's pause, the boatman said again,--

"Would you like to go, sir? Very nice boat."

"Not on those terms," said Mr. George. "If you will tell me what the usual ferriage is, I can then tell you whether we wish to go or not."

"Well, sir," replied the man, "gentlemen usually gives us about twopence apiece."

"Twopence apiece. Very well, we will go."

Mr. George did not wait to ask Rollo whether he would like to go before he decided the question. He would have considered this a mere waste of time, for Rollo was always ready to go, no matter where.

So they got into the boat, and were rowed across the water. They ascended the stairs on the other side, and walked a little way in a smooth road which led along the bank. Rollo wished to go farther; but Mr. George said that his time had expired, and that he must go back.

"But you may stay," said he to Rollo, "as long as you please, provided that you come back before dark."

Rollo was much pleased with this permission, as he wished to go to the top of the hill, at the outlet of the harbor, and look at the prospect.

He promised to return before dark.

"Have you any change," said Mr. George, "to pay your ferriage back?"

"No," said Rollo, "I have nothing but my five-franc pieces."

"Then I will lend you twopence," said Mr. George. "You can pay me the first change you get in France."

"But I cannot get any pennies in France," said Rollo.

"True," said Mr. George; "you will get sous there. You must pay me four sous. A penny is equal to two sous.

"I will pay your bill at the hotel, too," continued Mr. George, "as I suppose they will make out yours and mine together, and you can pay me your share to-morrow, when we land. Here is your ticket, however. You must take charge of that."

"But suppose I lose it?" asked Rollo.

"Then you will have to pay over again," said Mr. George; "that is all.

You will lose about twenty francs; unless, indeed," he continued, "your father should call it a casualty."

So Mr. George went back to the boat, and Rollo continued his walk, thinking on the way of the question which his uncle had suggested, whether his father would consider the loss of his ticket a casualty or not. He determined, however, very resolutely, that he would not lose it; and so he put it away safely in his wallet, and then went on. The road was very smooth and pleasant to walk in, being bordered by green fields on the one hand, and the water of the harbor on the other. Rollo came at length to the hill. There were successive terraces, with houses built upon them, on the sides of the hill, and paths leading to the summit.

Rollo had a fine view of the sea, and of the vessels and steamers which were pa.s.sing slowly in the offing, on their way up and down the channel; but though he looked long and eagerly for the coast of France, it was not to be seen.

Rollo rambled about the hill for a considerable time; for at that season of the year the twilight continued very long, and it did not become dark till quite late. When, at length, the shadows of the evening began to shut in upon the landscape, he returned to the ferry, and the ferryman rowed him back again to the hotel.

It was now nearly nine o'clock, and, of course, three hours remained before the time of embarkation would arrive. Rollo was not sorry for this, as he thought that there would be enough to amuse and occupy him all this time on and around the pier. His first duty, however, was to go and report himself to Mr. George as having returned from his walk. This he did. He found his uncle very busy in his room, writing his journal.

"Now, Rollo," said Mr. George, "it is three hours before we are to leave. What are you going to do all that time?"

"O, I shall find plenty to amuse myself with," said Rollo.

"Very well," said Mr. George. "You may play about wherever you are sure it is safe. Don't go near the edge of the pier, unless there is somebody at hand to pull you out of the water with a boathook, if you fall in.

Amuse yourself as long as you can; and when you are tired of taking care of yourself, come to me, and I will tell you what to do."

Rollo, having received these instructions, left his uncle to his work, and went away. He descended the stairs, and went out upon the pier again, and after amusing himself, by examining every thing there, he concluded to go on board the steamer. A train of cars had arrived from London while he and his uncle had been on the other side of the water, and there were now several new pa.s.sengers in the cabin, who were choosing and marking their berths, or talking together about the voyage.

Rollo thought that, in order to make sure that his ticket was all right, he would climb up into his berth and see; and then, when he was there, it seemed to him a very funny place to sleep in; so he laid down his head upon the round cus.h.i.+on to try it. While he was in this position, his attention was attracted by the sound of children's voices on the stairs, talking French. Presently these children came into the cabin.

Their mother was with them. There were two of them, and they were not more than five or six years old. Rollo was exceedingly astonished to hear such little children talk French so well. Rollo listened to see if he could understand what they said. He had studied French himself for a year or two, and could say a great many things. In fact, he had been accustomed to consider himself quite a good French scholar. But he now found that all his acquisitions dwindled into utter insignificance, when compared with the power over the language possessed by those little girls.

The French party did not remain very long in the cabin where Rollo was, but pa.s.sed at once through a door which led to a small ladies' cabin near. There were other persons, however, continually coming and going, and Rollo was interested in watching their movements, and in listening to the fragments of conversation which he heard. He found his position very comfortable, too, and the sounds around him produced so lulling an effect, that, before long, he insensibly closed his eyes. In a word, in less than fifteen minutes after he climbed up into his berth to see what sort of a place it was, he had put it fully to the test of experiment, by going fast asleep in it.

In about half an hour after this, Mr. George, coming to the end of a paragraph in his journal, laid down his pen, drew a long breath, looked out the window, and then rang the bell. In a few minutes the chambermaid came.

"Mary," said he, "I wish to ask the porter to go out and look about on the pier, and in the packet, and see if he can see any thing of that boy that came with me."

"Very well, sir," said Mary, with a quick courtesy; and she immediately disappeared.

In about five minutes she came back, and said that the young master was in his berth in the packet, sound asleep.