CHAPTER XXIII
A LIVELY EVENING AT THE HOTEL
The Blanchita had been painted since her return from Borneo, and she hada decidedly holiday appearance. Captain Rayburn had been introduced toall the ladies and gentlemen on board; and in the steam-launch he waspresented to General Noury and his wife, and to the others of theBlanche. The port physician went on shore with them, pointed out to themthe landing-place, and directed them to the hotel.
The party landed, and found the hotel "good enough," though hardly inthe slang sense of the phrase. Apartments were obtained for all, anddinner was ordered. Captain Rayburn had been a couple of days in Saigon,and had learned something about the city. He was the guide of theNimrods when they took a walk before dinner. They went through theFrench portion of the place, where they found the streets broad, andornamented with trees. The houses were seldom more than two storieshigh.
The governor's palace was a magnificent residence for Cochin China, andthe cathedral was also a fine building; but after going half over theworld the young voyagers did not find much to attract them.
They were more interested in what the country itself produced than inwhat had been brought from France. There was a European garrison in thecitadel; but the natives were enlisted as soldiers, and drilled inFrench tactics. The promenaders met a squad of the latter. They woreblue blouses, white pants, and a flat cork-lined cap; but they did notwear shoes, and they looked very odd to the visitors in their bare feet.
The walk ended with a visit to the botanical garden; but the tropicalplants were what they had been seeing for two months, and they were nota novelty to them. The foreign plants and trees were more interesting tothem, and they had been set out with a view of ascertaining what wereadapted to the soil and climate of the country.
"This place consists really of three towns united," said Captain Rayburnas they walked back to the hotel. "It was formerly but a group offishing villages, though even then it was the capital. Pingeh is thecommercial town, on the west side of the river, and Cholon is the nativequarter. The citadel or fortress is in Pingeh, but we have not time tovisit either of them to-night."
"You have been here before, Captain?" asked Louis.
"Not in the Delhi. I was for some years the commander of one of the P. &O. steamers; but I was taken very sick six months ago, and was obligedto spend three months in Calcutta. When I got well, a merchant therewho had been a good friend of mine during my illness, was in a greatstrait to find a captain for the Delhi in place of one who had died. Iagreed to take her for a single voyage; for she is a very small craftfor me, as I have been in command of ships of six thousand tons. I shallreturn to my steamer when she comes to Calcutta in a couple of months."
"I thought you were too big a man to be in command of such a puny vesselas the Delhi," added Scott.
"I took charge of her only to accommodate my friend her owner. I don'tfind any fault with her, except that she is old and very slow," addedthe captain as they came to the hotel.
"Ah, Captain Rayburn, how do you do?" exclaimed a gentleman, extendinghis hand to him. "I was a passenger in your ship to Hong-Kong lastyear."
"O Monsieur Froler!" replied Captain Rayburn, grasping the profferedhand. "Of course I remember you very well, for I don't often get sofully acquainted with my passengers as I did with you; and I only wishedI could talk French with you. But you speak English as well as I can, sothat it made no difference. Do you reside here?"
"I went from Hong-Kong to Canton, and several other Chinese cities, andthen to Japan, after we parted, and finally I came here. I like theplace, and have been here six months," replied the French gentleman,who was not over thirty years of age. "I live at this hotel; and we havea great American party here, with an English steamer that has a Moorishpacha on board with his wife, who is an Indian princess, so the landlordtold me; and I wish to be introduced to them."
"I can assist you to that, Mr. Froler. Are you in business here?" askedthe captain.
"Not at all; my father made my fortune for me, and I do nothing buttravel, and when I come to a place I like I stay there as long as Iplease; and I am doing that here."
"Mr. Froler, allow me to present to you Mr. Louis Belgrave, the owner ofthe Guardian-Mother, the American steam-yacht in the river," continuedCaptain Rayburn.
The French gentleman received the young man with the greatest deferenceand politeness, and introduced him to his companion. A conversation inFrench followed; for Louis was inclined to use that language when hecould, to keep "his tongue in," as he put it. Mr. Froler told him thathe was well acquainted in the city with all the principal men, and wasfamiliar with all the localities. He would be very happy to escort theparty wherever they wished to go, and to introduce them to the governorand other officers of the army and officials.
Louis then conducted the Frenchman to the large parlor where thetourists were waiting for dinner, and introduced him to CaptainRinggold, who received him with his usual politeness. While Louis wasintroducing him to all the members of the party, Captain Rayburninformed the commander that he had first met Mr. Froler when in commandof a P. & O. steamer.
"Were you in command of a P. & O. steamer?" asked Captain Ringgold,opening his eyes very wide.
"I am still in command of one," replied the English captain; and thenexplained how he happened to be in the Delhi. "Mr. Froler was really themost agreeable passenger I ever had, and I became very intimate withhim. He is very wealthy, and travels all the time, though he sometimesstops a year in a place. He is a high-toned gentleman in every sense ofthe word. He is acquainted with the principal merchants and all theofficials in Saigon, and desires to assist your party in seeing the cityand its surroundings."
"I shall certainly be very grateful to him for his services," repliedthe commander, as Mr. Froler approached them after making his round ofintroductions with Louis.
The Frenchman formally tendered his assistance to the party, and theywere gratefully accepted by the commander. Of course he was invited todinner with the party; and the seat of honor on the right of the captainwas given to him, while that on the left was appropriated to CaptainRayburn. The princess was placed next to the Frenchman, with the pachanext. The others took seats to suit themselves.
The dinner was excellent, and Dr. Hawkes wondered if Monsieur Oderviehad not had a hand in its preparation; and this afterwards proved to bethe case. French cooks are very fraternal; and when one of them is toget up a great dinner, his _confreres_ generally tender their assistanceto him. As no dinner was to be served that day on the steamer, MonsieurOdervie had obtained leave of absence, and called upon the cook of thehotel. His proffered aid was accepted, and the surgeon was confident hehad made the sauce for the excellent fish that was served.
It was a lively party at the table, for the guests were desirous ofknowing more about the mission of the Guardian-Mother all over theworld; and their curiosity was gratified, the pacha telling theFrenchman all about it in the language of the latter. No wine wasserved, for the reason that none was ordered, doubtless greatly to theregret of the landlord; and the commander made an explanation, thoughnot an apology.
"I am a Frenchman, but I drink no wine," said Mr. Froler; "for thereason that it does not agree with me. I have great respect for mystomach; for it is very serviceable to me, like my watch, if I keep itin good order. I drank no wine nor liquor in Paris, and still less wouldI do so in a tropical country."
"I am in the same boat with my friend Mr. Froler. The P. & O. Companydoes not encourage its captains to drink anything; and when I enteredthe service as a fourth officer, I knocked off entirely, afloat orashore; and I have stuck to my text ever since," added Captain Rayburn.
"Then our teetotal habits do not interfere at all with our guests."
"Not at all," added both of them.
"Did you know that the captain of your consort from Borneo was acommander in the P. & O. service, Mr. Belgrave?" asked Captain Ringgold.
"I did not till this evening; I knew that he was a gen
tleman, and thatwas all that I wished to know," replied Louis.
This remark was applauded warmly by the company. The captain then saidthat he wished to introduce the guests of the occasion over again,though they had been presented individually to all the company. Hewished to say that Captain Rayburn was actually the commander of a P. &O. steamer of six thousand tons, on leave of absence on account ofsickness. He also told them something more about the Frenchman. He was agentleman whose father had made his fortune for him, as he expressedhimself; he was not engaged in any business, and held no officialposition. He was travelling only for his own amusement and instruction,and his stay in Saigon had been prolonged to six months.
As the party left the table, Mr. Froler had a little talk for a fewminutes, when he excused himself, and left the hotel, promising toreturn in half an hour. Conversation was resumed in the parlor; andpresently Mrs. Belgrave started one of the familiar hymns when she founda piano in the room, in which the captain of the Delhi joined with atremendous bass voice.
While the music was in full blast, Mr. Froler entered the apartment,accompanied by two ladies and two gentlemen, both of the latter wearingthe decoration of the Legion of Honor. It was evident that the visitorswere magnates of Saigon; and Mrs. Belgrave rose from the instrument, andthe singing was discontinued.
"I have the pleasure of presenting to Your Excellency, Captain Ringgold,commander of the steamer Guardian-Mother, visiting Saigon with thecompany of tourists here present," said Mr. Froler, leading up one ofthe strangers. "Captain Ringgold, I have the honor to introduce to youHis Excellency the Governor of French Cochin China."
The two gentlemen then shook hands. Louis Belgrave was then presented,followed by General Noury and his wife; and the pacha then took Hisexcellency to every member of the party, and presented each in due form.While this was in process, Mr. Froler presented to the commander theother gentleman, who appeared to be about fifty years old, as MonsieurLarousse, merchant of the city; and Louis followed the general inintroducing him to the members of the party. The master of ceremoniesnext led up to Captain Ringgold the two ladies, presenting them asMadame and Mademoiselle Larousse; and they appeared to be the wife anddaughter of the elderly gentleman who had preceded them.
The daughter was a beautiful lady, apparently about twenty-four yearsold, though it is not always practicable to state the age of a Frenchlady. By this time General Noury had made his round, and the governorwas passed over to Mrs. Noury, at his request. The commander made thecircuit with Madame Larousse, and the pacha offered his services toconduct Mademoiselle Larousse. He presented her to his wife first,interrupting her _tete-a-tete_ with His Excellency for a moment.
"Pretty woman," said Captain Rayburn to Captain Ringgold.
"Very pretty," replied the latter.
"Between you and me, she is the particular reason why Froler hasprolonged his stay here to six months."
"Then I congratulate him," added the commander.
"Her father is not rich; Froler does not care for that, for he is amulti-millionaire himself, counted in francs. But the prettiest ladyhere is the sister of Morris, Miss Blanche."
"Madame Noury, you were singing when I came in," said the governor whenthe introductions had been completed.
"But they were singing American hymns, not adapted to your religion ormine," replied Mrs. Noury.
"I don't care for that," he added; and both spoke French. "I liked whatI heard very much, and I should wish to hear some more of it."
Mrs. Belgrave was called, and the request repeated to her in English bythe magnate. And so it happened that the rest of the evening was passedin singing gospel hymns. At a late hour the company separated.