It will pass

Hello,

In the book "Parrot and Olivier in America" by Peter Carey, there's the following conversation taking place on board a ship:

"Ah Captain," I cried, relieved to see him. "We have a matter to settle."

He looked at me bleakly.

"No, no." My companion [Mr. Peek] restrained me, allowing the captain to continue on his course...

"It will pass," my new friend [Mr. Peek] said, meaning what I did not know. "Before we know it we will be in civilisation."

I feared that most unlikely.

Context: The narrator is Oliver here. He is a French nobleman, who doesn't speak English very well and has problems with it all the time. First he decided he would share his cabin with his servant, but then he changed his mind and moved the servant out. Mr. Peek told Olivier it had been a mistake, the Americans would not like it, that he despised his servant. That's why Olivier wants to talk to the (drunken) captain, probably because he wants to move his servant in again. But Mr. Peek prevents him from talking to him. What does it mean when Mr. Peek says "It will pass"? Does it mean that the time will pass, or that the Americans will finally accept the fact that he doesn't live with his servant? The verb seems a little vague to me.

Thanks for your help.