one night during the crossing large numbers of the steerage class passengers dance on the ship's deck and jacob and marco meet and dance with two irish sisters called bridget and georgiana o'donnell. bridget had been on the staff at wexford hall, the irish home of the british landowner jamie barrymore the earl of wexford. bridget, using the pseudonym of mary-ann flaherty, had seduced the earl and assisted the fenians in kidnapping wexford. the same night jacob has a brief conversation with a czech called tom banicek.