"Idon’tknowwhatyouimaginebetweenthem，"saidMrs。Nettlepoint。
　　"Well，nothing，"Iallowed，"butwhatwasvisibleonthesurface。Ittranspired，asthenewspaperssay，thattheywereoldfriends。"
　　"Hemetheratsomepromiscuousparty——Iaskedhimaboutitafterwards。She’snotaperson"——myhostesswasconfident——"whomhecouldeverthinkofseriously。"
　　"That’sexactlywhatIbelieve。"
　　"Youdon’tobserve——youknow——youimagine，"Mrs。Nettlepointcontinuedtoargue。"HowdoyoureconcileherlayingatrapforJasperwithhergoingouttoLiverpoolonanerrandoflove？"
　　OhIwasn’ttobecaughtthatway！"Idon’tforaninstantsupposeshelaidatrap；Ibelievesheactedontheimpulseofthemoment。
　　She’sgoingouttoLiverpoolonanerrandofmarriage；that’snotnecessarilythesamethingasanerrandoflove，especiallyforonewhohappenstohavehadapersonalimpressionofthegentlemanshe’sengagedto。"
　　"Well，therearecertaindecencieswhichinsuchasituationthemostabandonedofhersexwouldstillobserve。Youapparentlyjudgehercapable——onnoevidence——ofviolatingthem。"
　　"Ahyoudon’tunderstandtheshadesofthings，"Ireturned。
　　"Decenciesandviolations，dearlady——there’snoneedforsuchheavyartillery！IcanperfectlyimaginethatwithouttheleastimmodestysheshouldhavesaidtoJasperonthebalcony，infactifnotinwords：’I’mindreadfulspirits，butifyoucomeIshallfeelbetter，andthatwillbepleasantforyoutoo。’"
　　"Andwhyissheindreadfulspirits？"
　　"Sheisn’t！"Ireplied，laughing。
　　Mypoorfriendwondered。"Whatthenisshedoing？"
　　"She’swalkingwithyourson。"
　　Mrs。Nettlepointforamomentsaidnothing；thenshetreatedmetoanotherinconsequence。"Ahshe’shorrid！"
　　"No，she’scharming！"Iprotested。
　　"Youmeanshe’s’curious’？"
　　"Well，formeit’sthesamething！"
　　ThisledmyfriendofcoursetodeclareoncemorethatIwascold-
　　blooded。Ontheafternoonofthemorrowwehadanothertalk，andshetoldmethatinthemorningMissMavishadpaidheralongvisit。
　　Sheknewnothing，poorcreature，aboutanything，butherintentionsweregoodandshewasevidentlyinherowneyesconscientiousanddecorous。AndMrs。Nettlepointconcludedtheseremarkswiththesigh"Unfortunateperson！"
　　"Youthinkshe’sagooddealtobepitiedthen？"
　　"Well，herstorysoundsdreary——shetoldmeagooddealofit。Shefelltotalkinglittlebylittleandwentfromonethingtoanother。
　　She’sinthatsituationwhenagirlMUSTopenherself——tosomewoman。"
　　"Hasn’tshegotJasper？"Iasked。
　　"Heisn’tawoman。Youstrikemeasjealousofhim，"mycompanionadded。
　　"IdaresayHEthinksso——orwillbeforetheend。Ahno——ahno！"AndIaskedMrs。Nettlepointifouryoungladystruckheras，verygrossly，aflirt。Shegavemenoanswer，butwentontoremarkthatshefounditoddandinterestingtoseethewayagirllikeGraceMavisresembledthegirlsofthekindsheherselfknewbetter，thegirlsof"society，"atthesametimethatshedifferedfromthem；andthewaythedifferencesandresemblancesweresomixedupthatoncertainquestionsyoucouldn’ttellwhereyou’dfindher。You’dthinkshe’dfeelasyoudidbecauseyouhadfoundherfeelingso，andthensuddenly，inregardtosomeothermatter——whichwasyetquitethesame——she’dbeutterlywanting。Mrs。Nettlepointproceededtoobserve——tosuchidlespeculationsdoesthevacancyofsea-hoursgiveencouragement——thatshewonderedwhetheritwerebettertobeanordinarygirlverywellbroughtuporanextraordinarygirlnotbroughtupatall。
　　"OhIgoinfortheextraordinarygirlunderallcircumstances。"
　　It’struethatifyou’reVERYwellbroughtupyou’renot，youcan’tbe，ordinary，"saidMrs。Nettlepoint，smellingherstrongsalts。
　　"You’realady，atanyrate。"
　　"AndMissMavisisfiftymilesout——isthatwhatyoumean？"
　　"Well——you’veseenhermother。"
　　"Yes，butIthinkyourcontentionwouldbethatamongsuchpeoplethemotherdoesn’tcount。"
　　"Precisely，andthat’sbad。"
　　"Iseewhatyoumean。Butisn’titratherhard？Ifyourmotherdoesn’tknowanythingit’sbetteryoushouldbeindependentofher，andyetifyouarethatconstitutesabadnote。"IaddedthatMrs。
　　Mavishadappearedtocountsufficientlytwonightsbefore。Shehadsaidanddoneeverythingshewanted，whilethegirlsatsilentandrespectful。Grace’sattitude，sofarasherparentwasconcerned，hadbeeneminentlydecent。
　　"Yes，butshe’squirmed’forher，"saidMrs。Nettlepoint。
　　"AhifyouknowitImayconfessshehastoldmeasmuch。"
　　Myfriendstared。"ToldYOU？There’soneofthethingstheydo！"
　　"Well，itwasonlyaword。Won’tyouletmeknowwhetheryoudothinkheraflirt？"
　　"Tryheryourself——that’sbetterthanaskinganotherwoman；
　　especiallyasyoupretendtostudyfolk。"
　　"Ohyourjudgementwouldn’tprobablyatalldeterminemine。It’sasbearingonYOUIaskit。"Which，however，demandedexplanation，sothatIwasdulyfrank；confessingmyselfcuriousastohowfarmaternalimmoralitywouldgo。
　　Itmadeheratfirstbutrepeatmywords。"Maternalimmorality？"
　　"Youdesireyoursontohaveeverypossibledistractiononhisvoyage，andifyoucanmakeupyourmindinthesenseIrefertothatwillmakeitallright。He’llhavenoresponsibility。"
　　"Heavens，howyouanalyse！"shecried。"Ihaven’tintheleastyourpassionformakingupmymind。"
　　"Thenifyouchanceit，"Ireturned，"you’llbemoreimmoralstill。"
　　"Yourreasoning’sstrange，"saidMrs。Nettlepoint；"whenitwasyouwhotriedtoputintomyheadyesterdaythatshehadaskedhimtocome。"
　　"Yes，butingoodfaith。"
　　"Whatdoyoumean，insuchacase，bythat？"
　　"Why，asgirlsofthatsortdo。Theirallowanceandmeasureinsuchmatters，"Iexpounded，"ismuchlargerthanthatofyoungpersonswhohavebeen，asyousay，VERYwellbroughtup；andyetI’mnotsurethatonthewholeIdon’tthinkthemtherebythemoreinnocent。MissMavisisengaged，andshe’stobemarriednextweek，butit’sanoldoldstory，andthere’snomoreromanceinitthanifsheweregoingtobephotographed。Soherusuallifeproceeds，andherusuallifeconsists——andthatofcesdemoisellesingeneral——inhavingplentyofgentlemen’ssociety。HavingitImeanwithouthavinganyharmfromit。"
　　Mrs。Nettlepointhadgivenmedueattention。"Well，ifthere’snoharmfromitwhatareyoutalkingaboutandwhyamIimmoral？"
　　Ihesitated，laughing。"Iretract——you’resaneandclear。I’msureshethinkstherewon’tbeanyharm，"Iadded。"That’sthegreatpoint。"
　　"Thegreatpoint？"
　　"Tobesettled，Imean。"
　　"Mercy，we’renottryingthem！"criedmyfriend。"HowcanWEsettleit？"
　　"Imeanofcourseinourminds。Therewillbenothingmoreinterestingthesenexttendaysforourmindstoexercisethemselvesupon。"
　　"Thenthey’llgetterriblytiredofit，"saidMrs。Nettlepoint。
　　"No，no——becausetheinterestwillincreaseandtheplotwillthicken。Itsimplycan’tNOT，"Iinsisted。ShelookedatmeasifshethoughtmemorethanMephistophelean，andIwentbacktosomethingshehadlatelymentioned。"Soshetoldyoueverythinginherlifewasdreary？"
　　"Noteverything，butmostthings。Andshedidn’ttellmesomuchasIguessedit。She’lltellmemorethenexttime。She’llbehaveproperlynowaboutcomingintoseeme；Itoldhersheoughtto。"
　　"I’mgladofthat，"Isaid。"Keepherwithyouasmuchaspossible。"
　　"Idon’tfollowyouclosely，"Mrs。Nettlepointreplied，"butsofarasIdoIdon’tthinkyourremarksinthebesttaste。"
　　"Well，I’mtooexcited，Ilosemyheadinthesesports，"Ihadtorecognise——"cold-bloodedasyouthinkme。Doesn’tshelikeMr。
　　Porterfield？"
　　"Yes，that’stheworstofit。"
　　Ikeptmakingherstare。"Theworstofit？"
　　"He’ssogood——there’snofaulttobefoundwithhim。Otherwiseshe’dhavethrownitallup。Ithasdraggedonsinceshewaseighteen：shebecameengagedtohimbeforehewentabroadtostudy。
　　ItwasoneofthoseveryyoungandperfectlyneedlessblundersthatparentsinAmericamightmakesomuchlesspossiblethantheydo。
　　Thethingistoinsistonone’sdaughterwaiting，ontheengagement’sbeinglong；andthen，afteryou’vegotthatstarted，totakeitoneveryoccasionaslittleseriouslyaspossible——tomakeitdieout。
　　Youcaneasilytireittodeath，"Mrs。Nettlepointcompetentlystated。"However，"sheconcluded，"Mr。Porterfieldhastakenthisoneseriouslyforsomeyears。Hehasdonehisparttokeepitalive。
　　Shesaysheadoresher。"
　　"Hispart？Surelyhispartwouldhavebeentomarryherbythistime。"
　　"Hehasreallynomoney。"MyfriendwasevenmoreconfidentlyabletoreportitthanIhadbeen。
　　"Heoughttohavegotsome，insevenyears，"Iaudiblyreflected。
　　"SoIthinkshethinks。Therearesomesortsofhelplessnessthatarecontemptible。However，asmalldifferencehastakenplace。
　　That’swhyhewon’twaitanylonger。Hismotherhascomeout，shehassomething——alittle——andshe’sabletoassisthim。She’lllivewiththemandbearsomeoftheexpenses，andafterherdeaththesonwillhavewhatthereis。"
　　"Howoldisshe？"Icynicallyasked。
　　"Ihaven’ttheleastidea。Butitdoesn’t，onhispart，soundveryheroic——orveryinspiringforourfriendhere。Hehasn’tbeentoAmericasincehefirstwentout。"
　　"That’sanoddwayofadoringher，"Iobserved。
　　"Imadethatobjectionmentally，butIdidn’texpressittoher。Shemetitindeedalittlebytellingmethathehadhadotherchancestomarry。"
　　"Thatsurprisesme，"Iremarked。"Butdidshesay，"Iasked，"thatSHEhadhad？"
　　"No，andthat’soneofthethingsIthoughtniceinher；forshemusthavehad。Shedidn’ttrytomakeoutthathehadspoiledherlife。
　　Shehasthreeothersistersandthere’sverylittlemoneyathome。
　　Shehastriedtomakemoney；shehaswrittenlittlethingsandpaintedlittlethings——anddreadfullittlethingstheymusthavebeen；toobadtothinkof。Herfatherhashadalongillnessandhaslosthisplace——hewasinreceiptofasalaryinconnexionwithsomewaterworks——andoneofhersistershaslatelybecomeawidow，withchildrenandwithoutmeans。Andsoasinfactsheneverhasmarriedanyoneelse，whateveropportunitiesshemayhaveencountered，sheappearstohavejustmadeuphermindtogoouttoMr。Porterfieldastheleastofherevils。Butitisn’tveryamusing。"
　　"Well，"Ijudgedafterall，"thatonlymakesherdoingitthemorehonourable。She’llgothroughwithit，whateveritcosts，ratherthandisappointhimafterhehaswaitedsolong。It’strue，"I
　　continued，"thatwhenawomanactsfromasenseofhonour——！"
　　"Well，whenshedoes？"saidMrs。Nettlepoint，forIhungbackperceptibly。
　　"It’softensoextravagantandunnaturalaproceedingastoentailheavycostsonsomeone。"
　　"You’reveryimpertinent。Weallhavetopayforeachotherallthewhileandforeachother’svirtuesaswellasvices。"
　　"That’spreciselywhyIshallbesorryforMr。Porterfieldwhenshestepsofftheshipwithherlittlebill。Imeanwithherteethclenched。"
　　"Herteetharenotintheleastclenched。She’squiteathereasenow"——Mrs。Nettlepointcouldanswerforthat。
　　"Well，wemusttryandkeepherso，"Isaid。
　　"YoumusttakecarethatJasperneglectsnothing。"Iscarceknowwhatreflexionsthisinnocentpleasantryofmineprovokedonthegoodlady’spart；theupshotofthematalleventswastomakehersay：
　　"Well，Ineveraskedhertocome；I’mverygladofthat。It’salltheirowndoing。"
　　"’Their’own——youmeanJasper’sandhers？"
　　"Noindeed。Imeanhermother’sandMrs。Allen’s；thegirl’stooofcourse。Theyputthemselvesonusbymainforce。"
　　"Ohyes，Icantestifytothat。ThereforeI’mgladtoo。Weshouldhavemissedit，Ithink。"
　　"Howseriouslyyoutakeit！"Mrs。Nettlepointamusedlycried。
　　"Ahwaitafewdays！"——andIgotuptoleaveher。
　　CHAPTERIII
　　ThePatagoniawasslow，butspaciousandcomfortable，andtherewasamotherlydecencyinherlongnursingrockandherrustlingold-
　　fashionedgait，themultitudinousswish，inherwake，asofathousandproperpetticoats。Itwasasifshewishednottopresentherselfinportwiththesplashedeagernessofayoungcreature。Weweren’tnumerousenoughquitetoelboweachotherandyetweren’ttoofewtosupport——withthatfamiliarityandreliefwhichfiguresandobjectsacquireonthegreatbarefieldoftheoceanandunderthegreatbrightglassofthesky。Ihadneverlikedtheseasomuchbefore，indeedIhadneverlikeditatall；butnowIhadarevelationofhowinamidsummermooditcouldplease。Itwasdarklyandmagnificentlyblueandimperturbablyquiet——saveforthegreatregularswellofitsheartbeats，thepulseofitslife；andtheregrewtobesomethingsoagreeableinthesenseoffloatingthereininfiniteisolationandleisurethatitwasapositivegodsendthePatagoniawasnoracer。Onehadneverthoughtoftheseaasthegreatplaceofsafety，butnowitcameoveronethatthere’snoplacesosafefromtheland。Whenitdoesn’tconfertroubleittakestroubleaway——takesawaylettersandtelegramsandnewspapersandvisitsanddutiesandefforts，allthecomplications，allthesuperfluitiesandsuperstitionsthatwehavestuffedintoourterrenelife。Thesimpleabsenceofthepost，whentheparticularconditionsenableyoutoenjoythegreatfactbywhichit’sproduced，becomesinitselfapositivebliss，andthecleanboardsofthedeckturntothestageofaplaythatamuses，thepersonaldramaofthevoyage，themovementandinteraction，inthestrongsea-light，offiguresthatendbyrepresentingsomething——somethingmoreoverofwhichtheinterestisnever，eveninitskeenness，toogreattosufferyoutoslumber。Iatanyratedozedtoexcess，stretchedonmyrugwithaFrenchnovel，andwhenIopenedmyeyesIgenerallysawJasperNettlepointpasswiththeyoungwomanconfidedtohismother’scareonhisarm。Somehowatthesemoments，betweensleepingandwaking，I
　　inconsequentlyfeltthatmyFrenchnovelhadsettheminmotion。
　　PerhapsthiswasbecauseIhadfallenintothetrick，atthestart，ofregardingGraceMavisalmostasamarriedwoman，which，aseveryoneknows，isthenecessarystatusoftheheroineofsuchawork。
　　Everyrevolutionofourengineatanyratewouldcontributetotheeffectofmakingherone。
　　Inthesaloon，atmeals，myneighbourontherightwasacertainlittleMrs。Peck，averyshortandveryroundpersonwhoseheadwasenvelopedina"cloud"（acloudofdirtywhitewool）andwhopromptlyletmeknowthatshewasgoingtoEuropefortheeducationofherchildren。Ihadalreadyperceived——anhourafterweleftthedock——
　　thatsomeenergeticmeasurewasrequiredintheirinterest，butaswewerenotinEuropeyettheredemptionofthefourlittlePeckswasstayed。Enjoyinguntrammelledleisuretheyswarmedabouttheshipasiftheyhadbeenpiratesboardingher，andtheirmotherwasaspowerlesstochecktheirlicenceasifshehadbeengaggedandstowedawayinthehold。Theywereespeciallytobetrustedtodivebetweenthelegsofthestewardswhentheseattendantsarrivedwithbowlsofsoupforthelanguidladies。Theirmotherwastoobusycountingovertoherfellow-passengersalltheyearsMissMavishadbeenengaged。
　　Intheblankofourcommondetachmentthingsthatwerenobody’sbusinessverysoonbecameeverybody’s，andthiswasjustoneofthosefactsthatarepropagatedwithmysteriousandridiculousspeed。Thewhisperthatcarriesthemisverysmall，inthegreatscaleofthings，ofairandspaceandprogress，butit’salsoverysafe，forthere’snocompression，nosounding-board，tomakespeakersresponsible。Andthenrepetitionatseaissomehownotrepetition；
　　monotonyisintheair，themindisflatandeverythingrecurs——thebells，themeals，thestewards’faces，therompofchildren，thewalk，theclothes，theveryshoesandbuttonsofpassengerstakingtheirexercise。Thesethingsfinallygrowatoncesocircumstantialandsoaridthat，incomparison，lightsonthepersonalhistoryofone’scompanionsbecomeasubstituteforthefriendlyflickerofthelostfireside。
　　JasperNettlepointsatonmylefthandwhenhewasnotupstairsseeingthatMissMavishadherrepastcomfortablyondeck。Hismother’splacewouldhavebeennextminehadsheshownherself，andthenthatoftheyoungladyunderhercare。Thesecompanions，inotherwords，wouldhavebeenbetweenus，Jaspermarkingthelimitofthepartyinthatquarter。MissMaviswaspresentatluncheonthefirstday，butdinnerpassedwithouthercomingin，andwhenitwashalfoverJasperremarkedthathewouldgoupandlookafterher。
　　"Isn’tthatyoungladycoming——theonewhowasheretolunch？"Mrs。
　　Peckaskedofmeasheleftthesaloon。
　　"Apparentlynot。Myfriendtellsmeshedoesn’tlikethesaloon。"
　　"Youdon’tmeantosayshe’ssick，doyou？"
　　"Ohno，notinthisweather。Butshelikestobeabove。"
　　"Andisthatgentlemangoneuptoher？"
　　"Yes，she’sunderhismother’scare。"
　　"Andishismotherupthere，too？"askedMrs。Peck，whoseprocesseswerehomelyanddirect。
　　"No，sheremainsinhercabin。Peoplehavedifferenttastes。
　　Perhapsthat’sonereasonwhyMissMavisdoesn’tcometotable，"I
　　added——"herchaperonnotbeingabletoaccompanyher。"
　　"Herchaperon？"myfellowpassengerechoed。
　　"Mrs。Nettlepoint——theladyunderwhoseprotectionshehappenstobe。"
　　"Protection？"Mrs。Peckstaredatmeamoment，movingsomevaluedmorselinhermouth；thensheexclaimedfamiliarly"Pshaw！"Iwasstruckwiththisandwasonthepointofaskingherwhatshemeantbyitwhenshecontinued："Ain’twegoingtoseeMrs。Nettlepoint？"
　　"I’mafraidnot。Shevowsshewon’tstirfromhersofa。"
　　"Pshaw！"saidMrs。Peckagain。"That’squiteadisappointment。"
　　"Doyouknowherthen？"
　　"No，butIknowallabouther。"Thenmycompanionadded："Youdon’tmeantosayshe’sanyrealrelation？"
　　"Doyoumeantome？"
　　"No，toGraceMavis。"
　　"Noneatall。They’reverynewfriends，asIhappentoknow。Thenyou’reacquaintedwithouryounglady？"Ihadn’tnoticedthepassageofanyrecognitionbetweenthematluncheon。
　　"Issheyouryoungladytoo？"askedMrs。Peckwithhighsignificance。
　　"Ahwhenpeopleareinthesameboat——literally——theybelongalittletoeachother。"
　　"That’sso，"saidMrs。Peck。"Idon’tknowMissMavis，butIknowallabouther——IliveoppositetoheronMerrimacAvenue。Idon’tknowwhetheryouknowthatpart。"
　　"Ohyes——it’sverybeautiful。"
　　Theconsequenceofthisremarkwasanother"Pshaw！"ButMrs。Peckwenton："Whenyou’velivedoppositetopeoplelikethatforalongtimeyoufeelasifyouhadsomerightsinthem——titfortat！Butshedidn’ttakeituptoday；shedidn’tspeaktome。SheknowswhoI
　　amaswellassheknowsherownmother。"
　　"Youhadbetterspeaktoherfirst——she’sconstitutionallyshy，"I
　　remarked。
　　"Shy？She’sconstitutionallytough！Whyshe’sthirtyyearsold，"
　　criedmyneighbour。"Isupposeyouknowwhereshe’sgoing。"
　　"Ohyes——wealltakeaninterestinthat。"
　　"Thatyoungman，Isuppose，particularly。"AndthenasIfeignedavagueness："ThehandsomeonewhositsTHERE。Didn’tyoutellmehe’sMrs。Nettlepoint’sson？"
　　"Ohyes——heactsasherdeputy。Nodoubthedoesallhecantocarryoutherfunction。"
　　Mrs。Peckbrieflybrooded。Ihadspokenjocosely，butshetookitwithaseriousface。"Well，shemightlethimeathisdinnerinpeace！"shepresentlyputforth。
　　"Ohhe’llcomeback！"Isaid，glancingathisplace。TherepastcontinuedandwhenitwasfinishedIscrewedmychairroundtoleavethetable。Mrs。Peckperformedthesamemovementandwequittedthesaloontogether。Outsideofitwastheusualvestibule，withseveralseats，fromwhichyoucoulddescendtothelowercabinsormounttothepromenade-deck。Mrs。Peckappearedtohesitateastohercourseandthensolvedtheproblembygoingneitherway。Shedroppedononeofthebenchesandlookedupatme。
　　"Ithoughtyousaidhe’dcomeback。"
　　"YoungNettlepoint？Yes，Iseehedidn’t。MissMavisthenhasgivenhimhalfherdinner。"
　　"It’sverykindofher！Shehasbeenengagedhalfherlife。"
　　"Yes，butthatwillsoonbeover。"
　　"SoIsuppose——asquickaseverweland。EveryoneknowsitonMerrimacAvenue，"Mrs。Peckpursued。"Everyonetheretakesagreatinterestinit。"
　　"Ahofcourse——agirllikethathasmanyfriends。"
　　Butmyinformantdiscriminated。"Imeanevenpeoplewhodon’tknowher。"
　　"Isee，"Iwenton："she’ssohandsomethatsheattractsattention——
　　peopleenterintoheraffairs。"
　　Mrs。Peckspokeasfromthecommandingcentreofthese。"SheUSEDtobepretty，butIcan’tsayIthinkshe’sanythingremarkabletoday。
　　Anyhow，ifsheattractsattentionsheoughttobeallthemorecarefulwhatshedoes。Youhadbettertellherthat。"
　　"Ohit’snoneofmybusiness！"Ieasilymadeout，leavingtheterriblelittlewomanandgoingabove。Thisprofession，Igrant，wasnotperfectlyattunedtomyrealidea，orrathermyrealideawasnotquiteinharmonywithmyprofession。TheveryfirstthingIdidonreachingthedeckwastonoticethatMissMaviswaspacingitonJasperNettlepoint’sarmandthatwhateverbeautyshemighthavelost，accordingtoMrs。Peck’sinsinuation，shestillkeptenoughtomakeone’seyesfollowher。Shehadputonacrimsonhood，whichwasverybecomingtoherandwhichsheworefortherestofthevoyage。
　　Shewalkedverywell，withlongsteps，andIrememberthatatthismomenttheseahadagentleeveningswellwhichmadethegreatshipdipslowly，rhythmically，givingamovementthatwasgracefultogracefulpedestriansandamoreawkwardonetotheawkward。Itwastheloveliesthourofafineday，theclearearlyevening，withtheglowofthesunsetintheairandapurplecolouronthedeep。ItwasalwayspresenttomethatsothewatersploughedbytheHomericheroesmusthavelooked。IbecameconsciousonthisparticularoccasionmoreoverthatGraceMaviswouldfortherestofthevoyagebethemostvisiblethinginone’srange，thefigurethatwouldcountmostinthecompositionofgroups。Shecouldn’thelpit，poorgirl；
　　naturehadmadeherconspicuous——important，asthepainterssay。Shepaidforitbythecorrespondingexposure，thedangerthatpeoplewould，asIhadsaidtoMrs。Peck，enterintoheraffairs。
　　JasperNettlepointwentdownatcertaintimestoseehismother，andIwatchedforoneoftheseoccasions——onthethirddayout——andtookadvantageofittogoandsitbyMissMavis。Sheworealightblueveildrawntightlyoverherface，sothatifthesmilewithwhichshegreetedmeratherlackedintensityIcouldaccountforitpartlybythat。
　　"Well，we’regettingon——we’regettingon，"Isaidcheerfully，lookingatthefriendlytwinklingsea。
　　"Arewegoingveryfast？"
　　"Notfast，butsteadily。OhneHast，ohneRast——doyouknowGerman？"
　　"Well，I’vestudiedit——some。"
　　"Itwillbeusefultoyouovertherewhenyoutravel。"
　　"Wellyes，ifwedo。ButIdon’tsupposeweshallmuch。Mr。
　　Nettlepointsaysweought，"myyoungwomanaddedinamoment。
　　"AhofcourseHEthinksso。Hehasbeenallovertheworld。"
　　"Yes，hehasdescribedsomeoftheplaces。Theymustbewonderful。
　　Ididn’tknowIshouldlikeitsomuch。"
　　"Butitisn’t’Europe’yet！"Ilaughed。
　　Well，shedidn’tcareifitwasn’t。"Imeangoingonthisway。I
　　couldgoonforever——foreverandever。"
　　"Ahyouknowit’snotalwayslikethis，"Ihastenedtomention。
　　"Well，it’sbetterthanBoston。"
　　"Itisn’tsogoodasParis，"Istillmoreportentouslynoted。
　　"OhIknowallaboutParis。There’snofreshnessinthat。IfeelasifIhadbeenthereallthetime。"
　　"Youmeanyou’veheardsomuchofit？"
　　"Ohyes，nothingelsefortenyears。"
　　IhadcometotalkwithMissMavisbecauseshewasattractive，butI
　　hadbeenratherconsciousoftheabsenceofagoodtopic，notfeelingatlibertytoreverttoMr。Porterfield。Shehadn’tencouragedme，whenIspoketoheraswewereleavingBoston，togoonwiththehistoryofmyacquaintancewiththisgentleman；andyetnow，unexpectedly，sheappearedtoimply——itwasdoubtlessoneofthedisparitiesmentionedbyMrs。Nettlepoint——thathemightbeglancedatwithoutindelicacy。
　　"Isee——youmeanbyletters，"Iremarked。
　　"Wewon’tliveinagoodpart。Iknowenoughtoknowthat，"shewenton。
　　"Well，itisn’tasiftherewereanyverybadones，"Iansweredreassuringly。
　　"WhyMr。Nettlepointsaysit’sregularmean。"
　　"Andtowhatdoesheapplythatexpression？"
　　SheeyedmeamomentasifIwereelegantatherexpense，butsheansweredmyquestion。"UpthereintheBatignolles。Iseemtomakeoutit’sworsethanMerrimacAvenue。"
　　"Worse——inwhatway？"
　　"Why，evenlesswherethenicepeoplelive。"
　　"Heoughtn’ttosaythat，"Ireturned。AndIventuredtobackitup。
　　"Don’tyoucallMr。Porterfieldaniceperson？"
　　"Ohitdoesn’tmakeanydifference。"Shewatchedmeagainamomentthroughherveil，thetextureofwhichgaveherlookasuffusedprettiness。"Doyouknowhimverylittle？"sheasked。
　　"Mr。Porterfield？"
　　"No，Mr。Nettlepoint。"
　　"Ahverylittle。He’sveryconsiderablymyjunior，yousee。"
　　Shehadafreshpause，asifalmostagainformyelegance；butshewenton："He’syoungerthanmetoo。"Idon’tknowwhateffectofthecomictherecouldhavebeeninit，buttheturnwasunexpectedanditmademelaugh。NeitherdoIknowwhetherMissMavistookoffenceatmysensibilityonthishead，thoughIrememberthinkingatthemomentwithcompunctionthatithadbroughtaflushtohercheek。
　　Atalleventsshegotup，gatheringhershawlandherbooksintoherarm。"I’mgoingdown——I’mtired。"
　　"Tiredofme，I’mafraid。"
　　"No，notyet。"
　　"I’mlikeyou，"Iconfessed。"Ishouldlikeittogoonandon。"
　　ShehadbeguntowalkalongthedecktothecompanionwayandIwentwithher。"Well，Iguess_I_wouldn’t，afterall！"
　　Ihadtakenhershawlfromhertocarryit，butatthetopofthestepsthatleddowntothecabinsIhadtogiveitback。"Yourmotherwouldbegladifshecouldknow，"Iobservedasweparted。
　　Butshewasproofagainstmygraces。"Ifshecouldknowwhat？"
　　"Howwellyou’regettingon。"Irefusedtobediscouraged。"AndthatgoodMrs。Allen。"
　　"Ohmother，mother！Shemademecome，shepushedmeoff。"Andalmostasifnottosaymoreshewentquicklybelow。
　　IpaidMrs。Nettlepointamorningvisitafterluncheonandanotherintheevening，beforeshe"turnedin。"Thatsameday，intheevening，shesaidtomesuddenly："DoyouknowwhatI’vedone？I’veaskedJasper。"
　　"Askedhimwhat？"
　　"Why，ifSHEaskedhim，youunderstand。"
　　Iwondered。"DOIunderstand？"
　　"Ifyoudon’tit’sbecauseyou’regular’won’t，asshesays。Ifthatgirlreallyaskedhim——onthebalcony——tosailwithus。"
　　"Mydearlady，doyousupposethatifshedidhe’dtellyou？"
　　Shehadtorecognisemyacuteness。"That’sjustwhathesays。Buthesaysshedidn’t。"
　　"Anddoyouconsiderthestatementvaluable？"Iasked，laughingout。
　　"Youhadbetteraskyouryoungfriendherself。"
　　Mrs。Nettlepointstared。"Icouldn’tdothat。"
　　OnwhichIwasthemoreamusedthatIhadtoexplainIwasonlyamused。"Whatdoesitsignifynow？"
　　"Ithoughtyouthoughteverythingsignified。Youweresofull，"shecried，"ofsignification！"
　　"Yes，butwe’refurtheroutnow，andsomehowinmid-oceaneverythingbecomesabsolute。"
　　"WhatelseCANhedowithdecency？"Mrs。Nettlepointwenton。"If，asmyson，hewerenevertospeaktoheritwouldbeveryrudeandyou’dthinkthatstrangerstill。ThenYOUwoulddowhathedoes，andwherewouldbethedifference？"
　　"Howdoyouknowwhathedoes？Ihaven’tmentionedhimfortwenty-
　　fourhours。"
　　"Why，shetoldmeherself。Shecameinthisafternoon。"
　　"Whatanoddthingtotellyou！"Icommented。
　　"Notasshesaysit。Shesayshe’sfullofattention，perfectlydevoted——looksafterherallthetime。Sheseemstowantmetoknowit，sothatImayapprovehimforit。"
　　"That’scharming；itshowshergoodconscience。"
　　"Yes，orhergreatcleverness。"
　　SomethinginthetoneinwhichMrs。Nettlepointsaidthiscausedmetoreturninrealsurprise："Whywhatdoyousupposeshehasinhermind？"
　　"Togetholdofhim，tomakehimgosofarhecan’tretreat。Tomarryhimperhaps。"
　　"Tomarryhim？AndwhatwillshedowithMr。Porterfield？"
　　"She’llaskmejusttomakeitallrighttohim——orperhapsyou。"
　　"Yes，asanoldfriend"——andforamomentIfeltitawkwardlypossible。ButIputtoherseriously："DOyouseeJaspercaughtlikethat？"
　　"Well，he’sonlyaboy——he’syoungeratleastthanshe。"
　　"Precisely；sheregardshimasachild。Sheremarkedtomeherselftoday，thatis，thathe’ssomuchyounger。"
　　Mrs。Nettlepointtookthisin。"Doesshetalkofitwithyou？Thatshowsshehasaplan，thatshehasthoughtitover！"
　　I’vesufficientlyexpressed——fortheinterestofmyanecdote——thatI
　　foundanoddityinoneofouryoungcompanions，butIwasfarfromjudginghercapableoflayingatrapfortheother。MoreovermyreadingofJasperwasn’tintheleastthathewascatchable——couldbemadetodoathingifhedidn’twanttodoit。Ofcourseitwasn’timpossiblethathemightbeinclined，thathemighttakeit——oralreadyhavetakenit——intohisheadtogofurtherwithhismother’scharge；buttobelievethisIshouldrequirestillmoreproofthanhisalwaysbeingwithher。Hewantedatmostto"takeupwithher"
　　forthevoyage。"Ifyou’vequestionedhimperhapsyou’vetriedtomakehimfeelresponsible，"Isaidtomyfellowcritic。
　　"Alittle，butit’sverydifficult。Interferencemakeshimperverse。
　　Onehastogogently。Besides，it’stooabsurd——thinkofherage。
　　Ifshecan’ttakecareofherself！"criedMrs。Nettlepoint。
　　"Yes，letuskeepthinkingofherage，thoughit’snotsoprodigious。
　　Andifthingsgetverybadyou’veoneresourceleft，"Iadded。
　　Shewondered。"Tolockherupinhercabin？"
　　"No——tocomeoutofyours。"
　　"Ahnever，never！Ifittakesthattosavehershemustbelost。
　　Besides，whatgoodwoulditdo？IfIweretogoaboveshecouldcomebelow。"
　　"Yes，butyoucouldkeepJasperwithyou。"
　　"COULDI？"Mrs。Nettlepointdemandedinthemannerofawomanwhoknewherson。
　　Inthesaloonthenextday，afterdinner，overtheredclothofthetables，beneaththeswinginglampsandtheracksoftumblers，decantersandwine-glasses，wesatdowntowhist，Mrs。Peck，tooblige，takingahandinthegame。Sheplayedverybadlyandtalkedtoomuch，andwhentherubberwasoverassuagedherdiscomfiture（thoughnotmine——wehadbeenpartners）withaWelshrabbitandatumblerofsomethinghot。Wehaddonewiththecards，butwhileshewaitedforthisrefreshmentshesatwithherelbowsonthetableshufflingapack。
　　"Shehasn’tspokentomeyet——shewon’tdoit，"sheremarkedinamoment。
　　"Isitpossiblethere’sanyoneontheshipwhohasn’tspokentoyou？"
　　"Notthatgirl——sheknowstoowell！"Mrs。Pecklookedroundourlittlecirclewithasmileofintelligence——shehadfamiliarcommunicativeeyes。Severalofourcompanyhadassembled，accordingtothewont，thelastthingintheevening，ofthosewhoarecheerfulatsea，fortheconsumptionofgrilledsardinesanddevilledbones。
　　"Whatthendoessheknow？"
　　"Ohsheknows_I_know。"
　　"Well，weknowwhatMrs。Peckknows，"oneoftheladiesofthegroupobservedtomewithanairofprivilege。
　　"Well，youwouldn’tknowifIhadn’ttoldyou——fromthewaysheacts，"saidourfriendwithalaughofsmallcharm。
　　"She’sgoingouttoagentlemanwholivesoverthere——he’swaitingtheretomarryher，"theotherladywenton，inthetoneofauthenticinformation。IrememberthathernamewasMrs。Gotchandthathermouthlookedalwaysasifshewerewhistling。
　　"Ohheknows——I’vetoldhim，"saidMrs。Peck。
　　"Well，Ipresumeeveryoneknows，"Mrs。Gotchcontributed。
　　"Dearmadam，isiteveryone’sbusiness？"Iasked。
　　"Why，don’tyouthinkit’sapeculiarwaytoact？"——andMrs。Gotchwasevidentlysurprisedatmylittleprotest。
　　"Whyit’srightthere——straightinfrontofyou，likeaplayatthetheatre——asifyouhadpaidtoseeit，"saidMrs。Peck。"Ifyoudon’tcallitpublic！"
　　"Aren’tyoumixingthingsup？Whatdoyoucallpublic？"
　　"Whythewaytheygoon。They’reuptherenow。"
　　"Theycuddleuptherehalfthenight，"saidMrs。Gotch。"Idon’tknowwhentheycomedown。Anyhourtheylike。Whenallthelightsareoutthey’reuptherestill。"
　　"Ohyoucan’ttirethemout。Theydon’twantrelief——liketheship’swatch！"laughedoneofthegentlemen。
　　"Well，iftheyenjoyeachother’ssocietywhat’stheharm？"anotherasked。"They’ddojustthesameonland。"
　　"Theywouldn’tdoitonthepublicstreets，Ipresume，"saidMrs。
　　Peck。"Andtheywouldn’tdoitifMr。Porterfieldwasround！"
　　"Isn’tthatjustwhereyourconfusioncomesin？"Imadeanswer。
　　"It’spublicenoughthatMissMavisandMr。Nettlepointarealwaystogether，butitisn’tintheleastpublicthatshe’sgoingtobemarried。"
　　"Whyhowcanyousay——whentheverysailorsknowit！TheCaptainknowsitandalltheofficersknowit。Theyseethemthere，especiallyatnight，whenthey’resailingtheship。"
　　"Ithoughttherewassomerule——！"submittedMrs。Gotch。
　　"Well，thereis——thatyou’vegottobehaveyourself，"Mrs。Peckexplained。"SotheCaptaintoldme——hesaidtheyhavesomerule。Hesaidtheyhavetohave，whenpeoplearetooundignified。"
　　"Isthatthetermheused？"Iinquired。
　　"Well，hemayhavesaidwhentheyattracttoomuchattention。"
　　Iventuredtodiscriminate。"It’swewhoattracttheattention——bytalkingaboutwhatdoesn’tconcernusandaboutwhatwereallydon’tknow。"
　　"ShesaidtheCaptainsaidhe’dtellonherassoonaseverwearrive，"Mrs。Gotchnonethelessserenelypursued。
　　"SHEsaid——？"Irepeated，bewildered。
　　"Well，hedidsayso，thathe’dthinkithisdutytoinformMr。
　　Porterfieldwhenhecomesontomeether——iftheykeepitupinthesameway，"saidMrs。Peck。
　　"Ohthey’llkeepitup，don’tyoufear！"oneofthegentlemenexclaimed。
　　"Dearmadam，theCaptain’shavinghisjokeonyou，"was，however，myowncongruousreply。
　　"No，heain’t——he’srightdownscandalised。Hesaysheregardsusallasarealfamilyandwantsthefamilynottobedownrightcoarse。"IfeltMrs。Peckirritatedbymycontroversialtone：shechallengedmewithconsiderablespirit。"HowcanyousayIdon’tknowitwhenallthestreetknowsitandhasknownitforyears——foryearsandyears？"Shespokeasifthegirlhadbeenengagedatleastfortwenty。"What’sshegoingoutforifnottomarryhim？"
　　"Perhapsshe’sgoingtoseehowhelooks，"suggestedoneofthegentlemen。
　　"He’dlookqueer——ifheknew。"
　　"Well，Iguesshe’llknow，"saidMrs。Gotch。
　　"She’dtellhimherself——shewouldn’tbeafraid，"thegentlemanwenton。
　　"Wellshemightaswellkillhim。He’lljumpoverboard，"Mrs。Peckcouldforetell。
　　"Jumpoverboard？"criedMrs。GotchasifshehopedthenthatMr。
　　Porterfieldwouldbetold。
　　"Hehasjustbeenwaitingforthis——forlong，longyears，"saidMrs。
　　Peck。
　　"Doyouhappentoknowhim？"Iasked。
　　Sherepliedatherconvenience。"No，butIknowaladywhodoes。
　　Areyougoingup？"
　　Ihadrisenfrommyplace——Ihadnotorderedsupper。"I’mgoingtotakeaturnbeforegoingtobed。"
　　"Wellthenyou’llsee！"
　　OutsidethesaloonIhesitated，forMrs。Peck’sadmonitionmademefeelforamomentthatifIwentupIshouldhaveenteredinamannerintoherlittleconspiracy。ButthenightwassowarmandsplendidthatIhadbeenintendingtosmokeacigarintheairbeforegoingbelow，andIdidn’tseewhyIshoulddeprivemyselfofthispleasureinordertoseemnottomindMrs。Peck。Imountedaccordinglyandsawafewfiguressittingormovingaboutinthedarkness。Theoceanlookedblackandsmall，asitisapttodoatnight，andthelongmassoftheship，withitsvaguedimwings，seemedtotakeupagreatpartofit。Thereweremorestarsthanonesawonlandandtheheavensstruckonemorethaneveraslargerthantheearth。GraceMavisandhercompanionwerenot，sofarasIperceivedatfirst，amongthefewpassengerswholingeredlate，andIwasglad，becauseI
　　hatedtohearhertalkedaboutinthemannerofthegossipsIhadleftatsupper。Iwishedtherehadbeensomewaytopreventit，butIcouldthinkofnonebuttorecommendherprivatelytoreconsiderherruleofdiscretion。Thatwouldbeaverydelicatebusiness，andperhapsitwouldbebettertobeginwithJasper，thoughthatwouldbedelicatetoo。Atanyrateonemightlethimknow，inafriendlyspirit，tohowmuchremarkheexposedtheyounglady——leavingthisrevelationtoworkitswayuponhim。UnfortunatelyIcouldn’taltogetherbelievethatthepairwereunconsciousoftheobservationandtheopinionofthepassengers。Theyweren’tboyandgirl；theyhadacertainsocialperspectiveintheireye。Iwasmeanwhileatanyrateinnopossessionofthedetailsofthatbehaviourwhichhadmadethem——accordingtotheversionofmygoodfriendsinthesaloon——
　　ascandaltotheship；forthoughIhadtakenduenoteofthem，aswillalreadyhavebeengathered，Ihadtakenreallynosuchferocious，oratleastsuchcompetent，noteasMrs。Peck。
　　Neverthelesstheprobabilitywasthattheyknewwhatwasthoughtofthem——whatnaturallywouldbe——andsimplydidn’tcare。Thatmadeourheroineoutratherperverseandevenrathershameless；andyetsomehowifthesewereherleaningsIdidn’tdislikeherforthem。I
　　don’tknowwhatstrangesecretexcusesIfoundforher。Ipresentlyindeedencountered，onthespot，aneedforanyImighthaveatcall，since，justasIwasonthepointofgoingbelowagain，afterseveralrestlessturnsand——withinthelimitwheresmokingwasallowed——asmanypuffsatacigarasIcaredfor，Ibecameawareofacoupleoffiguressettledtogetherbehindoneofthelifeboatsthatrestedonthedeck。Theyweresoplacedastobevisibleonlytoapersongoingclosetotherailandpeeringalittlesidewise。Idon’tthinkIpeered，butasIstoodamomentbesidetherailmyeyewasattractedbyaduskyobjectthatprotrudedbeyondtheboatandthatI
　　sawatasecondglancetobethetailofalady’sdress。Ibentforwardaninstant，buteventhenIsawverylittlemore；thatscarcelymatteredhowever，asIeasilyconcludedthatthepersonstuckedawayinsosnugacornerwereJasperNettlepointandMr。
　　Porterfield’sintended。Tuckedawaywastheodiousrightexpression，andIdeploredthefactsobetrayedforthepitifulbadtasteinit。
　　Iimmediatelyturnedaway，andthenextmomentfoundmyselffacetofacewithourvessel’sskipper。Ihadalreadyhadsomeconversationwithhim——hehadbeensogoodastoinviteme，ashehadinvitedMrs。
　　Nettlepointandhersonandtheyoungladytravellingwiththem，andalsoMrs。Peck，tositathistable——andhadobservedwithpleasurethathisseamanshiphadthegrace，notuniversalontheAtlanticliners，ofafine-weathermanner。
　　"Theydon’twastemuchtime——yourfriendsinthere，"hesaid，noddinginthedirectioninwhichhehadseenmelooking。
　　"Ahwell，theyhaven’tmuchtolose。"
　　"That’swhatImean。I’mtoldSHEhasn’t。"
　　Iwantedtosaysomethingexculpatory，butscarcelyknewwhatnotetostrike。Icouldonlylookvaguelyaboutmeatthestarrydarknessandtheseathatseemedtosleep。"Well，withthesesplendidnightsandthisperfectairpeoplearebeguiledintolatehours。"
　　"Yes，wewantabitofablow，"theCaptainsaid。
　　Idemurred。"Howmuchofone？"
　　"Enoughtoclearthedecks！"
　　Hewasafterallratherdryandhewentabouthisbusiness。Hehadmademeuneasy，andinsteadofgoingbelowItookafewturnsmore。
　　Theotherwalkersdroppedoffpairbypair——theywereallmen——tillatlastIwasalone。ThenafteralittleIquittedthefield。
　　Jasperandhiscompanionwerestillbehindtheirlifeboat。
　　PersonallyIgreatlypreferredouractualconditions，butasIwentdownIfoundmyselfvaguelywishing，intheinterestofIscarcelyknewwhat，unlessithadbeenameresuperstitiousdelicacy，thatwemighthavehalfagale。
　　MissMavisturnedout，insea-phrase，early；forthenextmorningI
　　sawhercomeuponlyashorttimeafterIhadfinishedmybreakfast，aceremonyoverwhichIcontrivednottodawdle。ShewasaloneandJasperNettlepoint，byarareaccident，wasnotondecktohelpher。
　　Iwenttomeether——shewasencumberedasusualwithhershawl，hersun-umbrellaandabook——andlaidmyhandsonherchair，placingitnearthesternoftheship，whereshelikedbesttobe。ButI
　　proposedtohertowalkalittlebeforeshesatdown，andshetookmyarmafterIhadputheraccessoriesintothechair。Thedeckwasclearatthathourandthemorninglightgay；onehadanextravagantsenseofgoodomensandpropitiousairs。Iforgetwhatwespokeoffirst，butitwasbecauseIfeltthesethingspleasantly；andnottotormentmycompanionnortotesther，thatIcouldn’thelpexclaimingcheerfullyafteramoment，asIhavementionedhavingdonethefirstday："Well，we’regettingon，we’regettingon！"
　　"Ohyes，Icounteveryhour。"
　　"Thelastdaysalwaysgoquicker，"Isaid，"andthelasthours——！"
　　"Well，thelasthours？"sheasked；forIhadinstinctivelycheckedmyself。
　　"Ohone’ssogladthenthatit’salmostthesameasifonehadarrived。Yetweoughttobegratefulwhentheelementshavebeensokindtous，"Iadded。"Ihopeyou’llhaveenjoyedthevoyage。"
　　Shehesitatedeversolittle。"Yes，muchmorethanIexpected。"
　　"Didyouthinkitwouldbeverybad？"
　　"Horrible，horrible！"
　　Thetoneofthesewordswasstrange，butIhadn’tmuchtimetoreflectuponit，forturningroundatthatmomentIsawJasperNettlepointcometowardus。Hewasstilldistantbytheexpanseofthewhitedeck，andIcouldn’thelptakinghiminfromheadtofootashedrewnearer。Idon’tknowwhatrenderedmeonthisoccasionparticularlysensitivetotheimpression，butitstruckmethatIsawhimasIhadneverseenhimbefore，sawhim，thankstotheintensesea-light，insideandout，inhispersonal，hismoraltotality。Itwasaquick，avividrevelation；ifitonlylastedamomentithadasimplifyingcertifyingeffect。Hewasintrinsicallyapleasingapparition，withhishandsomeyoungfaceandthatmarkedabsenceofanydropinhispersonalarrangementswhich，morethananyoneI’veeverseen，hemanagedtoexhibitonshipboard。Hehadnoneoftheappearanceofwearingoutoldclothesthatusuallyprevailsthere，butdressedquitestraight，asIheardsomeonesay。Thisgavehimanassured，almostatriumphantair，asofayoungmanwhowouldcomebestoutofanyawkwardness。Iexpectedtofeelmycompanion’shandloosenitselfonmyarm，asanindicationthatnowshemustgotohim，andIwasalmostsurprisedshedidn’tdropme。WestoppedaswemetandJasperbadeusafriendlygood-morning。Ofcoursetheremarkthatwehadanotherlovelydaywasalreadyindicated，anditledhimtoexclaim，inthemannerofonetowhomcriticismcameeasily，"Yes，butwiththissortofthingconsiderwhatoneoftheotherswoulddo！"