\"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！\"