The Ginger Tree Read Free Page B

perhaps because in this calm sea there was no danger of them spilling. Even Mrs C tried a fruit, though she had said when she saw the selection that they might be poison to Western stomachs. In Hong Kong she does not touch anything raw that comes from China, only vegetables which must be cooked. She was talking of servant trouble when the Judge, rather suddenly , leaned over the table to say to me that there was to be a concert that night in the men’s smoking-room and that Mrs Price had agreed to sing, but she had no one to accompany her on the piano, and would I oblige? Before I could say anything Mrs C spoke for me, saying: ‘Miss Mackenzie has never been in the smoking-room since we left Tilbury docks and she has no intention of entering it.’ The Judge was looking at me as though he had not heard Mrs C at all. I took a deep breath, then said yes I would certainly accompany Mrs Price if she had the sheet music for her songs. The Judge thanked me, never looking at Mrs C, and then added that it would be quite a large attendance because an invitation had been issued to the Second Class passengers to attend. At this Mrs C put down her napkin, stood, and without giving any of us a glance, went out of the dining-room. The news that the Second Class would be at the concert made me a little uneasy. I had thought they were only allowed up on our deck for Divine Service, which only three or four of them attend. This is a Church of England service read from a book by the First Officer. They say the Captain is without God. The responses from the congregation are very poor and the singing dreadful, and usually I don’t really take part for the Church of England service is strange to me, though I suppose I shall have to get used to it when I marry Richard. After the service they serve beef tea on deck if it is calm, and in the hallway if it is rough.
    On the stairs up from the dining-room I decided that if I was toaccompany Mrs Price before a lot of people I could not do it in the brown dress but would wear the voile with spots which needs a special petticoat. Mrs C always goes to the ladies’ drawing-room after dinner for a time before going to bed at half-past nine, but this time she was in the cabin, sitting very straight on the little sofa. As soon as I went in she said in a very loud voice: ‘Mary Mackenzie, do you consider yourself a true Christian?’ I was quite shocked. Even our Minister had not asked me that when I was accepted into the South Morningside Church after Infant Baptism. She went on to a lot more, about her duty as my chaperone which was a sacred trust to my dear mother and whose wishes with regard to me Mrs C knew very well indeed. From what she said and the way she said it the men’s smoking-room could have been a place of special wickedness, but I have looked in quite often through the glass doors and all there was to be seen was men reading with cigars in their mouths, or sometimes playing cards or chess. When I spoke I was a little surprised at the way my own voice sounded. I asked Mrs C if she would kindly go up to the drawing-room as usual because I had to dress for the concert and would like the cabin to myself. I thought for a minute she was going to refuse, but she got up and went through the curtain into the passage. A few seconds later she came back to say: ‘It may interest you to know that I have available, should I wish, the means by which to send a message to your intended husband.’ When she had gone I was shaking and had to sit down.
    At quarter to nine, still feeling upset, I went up the stairs to the main deck and though I had a feeling that Mrs C would be watching from the drawing-room I did not look in there to see if she was. The doors to the smoking-room had been fastened back, the chairs arranged in rows as for Divine Service in the drawing-room. The piano was in a very bright light. Some of the chairs were already occupied and there were small tables to hold glasses, with two