Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth von Arnim Read Free Book Online

explained to
Anna-Felicitas, needing more comfort, in the lower one. On the
opposite side were two similar berths, each containing as
Anna-Felicitas whispered after peeping cautiously through their
closed curtains,--for at first on coming in after dinner to go to
bed the cabin seemed empty, except for inanimate things, like
clothes hanging up and an immense smell,--its human freight. They
were awed by this discovery, for the human freight was motionless
and speechless, and yet made none of the noises suggesting
sleep.
    They unpacked and undressed as silently and quickly as possible,
but it was very difficult, for there seemed to be no room for
anything, not even for themselves. Every now and then they glanced
a little uneasily at the closed curtains, which bulged, and sniffed
cautiously and delicately, trying to decide what the smell exactly
was. It appeared to be a mixture of the sauce one had with plum
pudding at Christmas, and German bedrooms in the morning. It was a
smell they didn't like the idea of sleeping with, but they saw
no way of getting air. They thought of ringing for the stewardess
and asking her to open a window, though they could see no window,
but came to the conclusion it was better not to stir her up; not
yet, at least, not till they had correctly diagnosed what was the
matter with her. They said nothing out loud, for fear of disturbing
whatever it was behind the curtains, but they knew what each was
thinking, for one isn't, as they had long ago found out, a twin
for nothing.
    There was a slight scuffle before Anna-Felicitas was safely
hoisted up into her berth, her legs hanging helplessly down for
some time after the rest of her was in it, and Anna-Rose, who had
already neatly inserted herself into her own berth, after watching
these legs in silence and fighting a desire to give them a tug and
see what would happen, had to get out at last on hearing
Anna-Felicitas begin to make sounds up there as though she were
choking, and push them up in after her. Her head was then on a
level with Anna-Felicitas's berth, and she could see how
Anna-Felicitas, having got her legs again, didn't attempt to do
anything with them in the way of orderly arrangement beneath the
blankets, but lay huddled in an irregular heap, screwing her eyes
up very tight and stuffing one of her pigtails into her mouth, and
evidently struggling with what appeared to be an attack of
immoderate and ill-timed mirth.
    Anna-Rose observed her for a moment in silence, then was
suddenly seized herself with a dreadful desire to laugh, and with a
hasty glance round at the bulging curtains scrambled back into her
own berth and pulled the sheet over her mouth.
    She was sobering herself by going over her different
responsibilities, checking them off on her fingers,--the two
five-pound notes under her pillow for extra expenses till they were
united in New York to their capital, the tickets, the passports,
and Anna-Felicitas,--when two thick fair pigtails appeared dangling
over the edge of her berth, followed by Anna-Felicitas's
head.
    "You've forgotten to turn out the light,"
whispered Anna-Felicitas, her eyelashes still wet from her late
attack; and stretching her neck still further down till her face
was scarlet with the effort and the blood rushing into it, she
expressed a conviction to Anna-Rose that the human freight behind
the curtains, judging from the suspicious negativeness of its
behaviour, had no business in their cabin at all and was really
stowaways.
    "German stowaways," added Anna-Felicitas, nodding her
head emphatically, which was very skilful of her, thought
Anna-Rose, considering that it was upside down. "
German
stowaways," whispered Anna-Felicitas, sniffing
expressively though cautiously.
    Anna-Rose raised herself on her elbows and stared across at the
bulging curtains. They certainly were very motionless and much
curved. In spite of herself her flesh began to creep a little.
    "They're men," whispered Anna-Felicitas, now
dangerously