Among the persons in the cabin, there were two who particularly attracted Jane's attention. They were young ladies of, perhaps, eighteen or twenty years of age, but they were remarkably different from each other in appearance. One was very beautiful indeed. Her hair was elegantly arranged in curls upon her neck, and she was dressed quite fashionably. Her countenance, too, beamed with an expression of animation and happiness.
The other young lady, who sat upon the other end of the same sofa, was very plain in her appearance, and was plainly dressed. Her countenance, too, had a sober and thoughtful expression which was almost stern, and made Jane feel quite disposed to be afraid of her. The beautiful girl she liked very much.
While the children were sitting thus upon the sofa, waiting to see what was next going to happen to them, several persons passed along that way, taking a greater or less degree of notice of them as they passed. Some merely stared at them, as if wondering how they came there, and what they were doing. One lady looked kindly at them, but did not speak. Another lady, apparently about forty years of age, walked by them with a haughty air, talking all the time with a gentleman who was with her. Jane heard her say to the gentleman, as soon as she had passed them,--
"What a quantity of children we have on board this ship! I hate children on board ship, they are so noisy and troublesome."
Jane did not say any thing in reply to this, but she thought that she and Rollo, at least, did not deserve such censures, for they had certainly not been noisy or troublesome.
Presently Jane saw the beautiful girl, who has been already spoken of, rise and come toward them. She was very glad to see this, for now, thought she, we have a friend coming. The young lady came walking along carelessly toward them, and when she came near she looked at them a moment, and then said, in a pert and forward manner,--
"What are you sitting here for, children, so long, all alone? Where is your father?"
"My father is in Liverpool, I suppose," said Rollo.
"Well, your mother, then," said the young lady, "or whoever has the care of you?"
"My mother is in Liverpool, too," said Rollo "and there is nobody who has the care of us on board this ship."