The gong for the one o'clock lunch was sounded, and Alfonso, glad of the
change, as his mother seemed unhappy, led the way below. Colonel Harris,
when he bought the tickets, had arranged that his family should sit at
the captain's table. As Alfonso entered the saloon, the steward conducted
him and his friends to their seats. The captain's seat was unoccupied as
he was busy on deck. The grand dining-room of the "Majestic" is amidships
on the main deck. At the three long tables and sixteen short side tables,
three hundred persons can be accommodated.
The sea was smooth, so every chair was taken. The scene was an animating
one and interesting to study. A single voyage will not suffice to reveal
the heart histories and ambitions of three hundred cosmopolitan
passengers. Everybody was talking at the same time; all had much to say
about the experiences in reaching and boarding the steamer. Everybody was
looking at everybody, and each wondered who the others might be.
So many new faces which are to be studies for the voyage, arrested the
attention of Mrs. Harris. Her appetite was not good, so she ate little,
but closely watched the exhilarating scenes about her. Many wives had
their husbands by their sides, and this pained her, but she resolved to
keep brave and to make the most of her opportunities.
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