Міжнародний епізод

           Heshowedthemtheirstateroom—aspaciousapartment,embellishedwithgaslamps,mirrorsenpied,andsculpturedfurniture—andthen,longaftertheyhadbeenintimatelyconvincedthatthesteamerwasinmotionandlaunchedupontheunknownstreamthattheywereabouttonavigate,hebadethemasociablefarewell.“Well,goodbye,LordLambeth,”hesaid;“goodbye,Mr.PercyBeaumont.Ihopeyou’llhaveagoodtime.Justletthemdowhattheywantwithyou.I’llcomedownby-and-byandlookafteryou.”TheyoungEnglishmenemergedfromtheircabinandamusedthemselveswithwanderingabouttheimmenselabyrinthinesteamer,whichstruckthemasanextraordinarymixtureofashipandahotel.Itwasdenselycrowdedwithpassengers,thelargernumberofwhomappearedtobeladiesandveryyoungchildren;andinthebigsaloons,ornamentedinwhiteandgold,whichfollowedeachotherinsurprisingsuccession,beneaththeswinginggaslight,andamongthesmallsidepassageswheretheNegrodomesticsofbothsexesassembledwithanairofphilosophicleisure,everyonewasmovingtoandfroandexchangingloudandfamiliarobservations.Eventually,attheinstanceofadiscriminatingblack,ouryoungmenwentandhadsome“supper”inawonderfulplacearrangedlikeatheater,where,inagildedgallery,uponwhichlittleboxesappearedtoopen,alargeorchestrawasplayingoperaticselections,and,below,peoplewerehandingaboutbillsoffare,asiftheyhadbeenprograms.