"Oh, well," said his wife, "don't let's begin on that."
Reckless of institutions Ramsey turned. "Is my brother worse?" she broke in, but a white-jacket entered with the dinner-bell and spoke softly to old Joy. "Yes," said Ramsey to him, "I'm Miss Hayle. What is it? Is my brother worse?"
"Miss Hayle, Mr. Hugh Co'teney make his comp'ments----"
"Yass'm, an' say' cap'm cayn' come to de table an' yo' ma she cayn't come----"
"And de commodo' he at de gemp'men's table, an' so he, Mr. Hugh, he 'p'inted to de ladies' table, an' will you please fo' to set in de place o' yo' ma?"
"Oh, rid-ic-ulous! Who? me? I?" The laugh grew plaintive.
"Yes, you; why not?" said the pilot at the wheel, with his eyes fixed far up the river.
But Ramsey glanced at her short skirts and laughed to all by turns: "Oh, it's just some ridiculous mistake!"
"No, miss, 'tain't no mistake. All de yetheh ladies incline de place." Every one laughed. "Oh, he on'y off' it to one! But when she say fo' to off' it to you den dey all say de same; yass'm, sawt o' in honoh o' yo' ma."
"They're afraid that seat'll give 'em the cholera," said the pilot in grim jest, still gazing up-stream, but the ladies cried out in denial for all their sex.
"I accept," said Ramsey, with a downward pull at her draperies. "How's my brother?"
"Thank y'ma'am," was the bowing waiter's only reply. He tripped down the pilot-house steps and away.
"Your brother," said the squire's sister as they all followed, "isn't in nearly so much pain, we hear."
Ramsey flashed: "Does that mean better--or worse?"
"Ringading tingalingaty, ringadang ding!" sang the festive bell up and down the deck to which they began to descend by a narrow stair, old Joy at the rear. Madame Hayle, ascending by another with the Bayou Sara priest, espied the nurse and beckoned her. The pilot, high above, observed the three as they met, although his ear was bent to a speaking-tube. Now he answered into it: "Yes, sir.... Yes, close above the point--Point Breeze, yes, sir."
As he resumed his up-stream gaze he saw old Joy, still at the stair, stand as if lost and then descend alone while madame and the priest moved toward the sickroom. The helm went gently over and the _Votaress_ rounded the point, but the priest waited outside where madame had gone in, and when the door reopened enough to let one out it was Julian who grimly confronted him, holding a pen, half concealed.