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we had better go ourselves。〃 So we passed to the front and in the
other room met the two young people coming in from the balcony。 I
was to wonder； in the light of later things； exactly how long they
had occupied together a couple of the set of cane chairs garnishing
the place in summer。 If it had been but five minutes that only made
subsequent events more curious。 〃We must go； mother；〃 Miss Mavis
immediately said； and a moment after； with a little renewal of
chatter as to our general meeting on the ship； the visitors had taken
leave。 Jasper went down with them to the door and as soon as they
had got off Mrs。 Nettlepoint quite richly exhaled her impression。
〃Ah but'll she be a boreshe'll be a bore of bores！〃
〃Not through talking too much； surely。〃
〃An affectation of silence is as bad。 I hate that particular pose；
it's coming up very much now； an imitation of the English； like
everything else。 A girl who tries to be statuesque at seathat will
act on one's nerves！〃
〃I don't know what she tries to be； but she succeeds in being very
handsome。〃
〃So much the better for you。 I'll leave her to you； for I shall be
shut up。 I like her being placed under my 'care'！〃 my friend cried。
〃She'll be under Jasper's；〃 I remarked。
〃Ah he won't go；〃 she wailed〃I want it too much！〃
〃But I didn't see it that way。 I have an idea he'll go。〃
〃Why didn't he tell me so thenwhen he came in？〃
〃He was diverted by that young womana beautiful unexpected girl
sitting there。〃
〃Diverted from his mother and her fond hope？his mother trembling
for his decision？〃
〃Well〃I pieced it together〃she's an old friend； older than we
know。 It was a meeting after a long separation。〃
〃Yes； such a lot of them as he does know！〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint sighed。
〃Such a lot of them？〃
〃He has so many female friendsin the most varied circles。〃
〃Well； we can close round her then；〃 I returned； 〃for I on my side
know； or used to know； her young man。〃
〃Her intended？〃she had a light of relief for this。
〃The very one she's going out to。 He can't； by the way；〃 it occurred
to me； 〃be very young now。〃
〃How odd it soundsher muddling after him！〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint。
I was going to reply that it wasn't odd if you knew Mr。 Porterfield；
but I reflected that that perhaps only made it odder。 I told my
companion briefly who he wasthat I had met him in the old Paris
days； when I believed for a fleeting hour that I could learn to
paint； when I lived with the jeunesse des ecoles； and her comment on
this was simply： 〃Well； he had better have come out for her！〃
〃Perhaps so。 She looked to me as she sat there as if； she might
change her mind at the last moment。〃
〃About her marriage？
〃About sailing。 But she won't change now。〃
Jasper came back； and his mother instantly challenged him。 〃Well；
ARE you going？〃
〃Yes； I shall go〃he was finally at peace about it。 〃I've got my
telegram。〃
〃Oh your telegram！〃I ventured a little to jeer。
〃That charming girl's your telegram。〃
He gave me a look； but in the dusk I couldn't make out very well what
it conveyed。 Then he bent over his mother； kissing her。 〃My news
isn't particularly satisfactory。 I'm going for YOU。〃
〃Oh you humbug！〃 she replied。 But she was of course delighted。
CHAPTER II
People usually spend the first hours of a voyage in squeezing
themselves into their cabins； taking their little precautions； either
so excessive or so inadequate； wondering how they can pass so many
days in such a hole and asking idiotic questions of the stewards； who
appear in comparison rare men of the world。 My own initiations were
rapid； as became an old sailor； and so； it seemed； were Miss Mavis's；
for when I mounted to the deck at the end of half an hour I found her
there alone； in the stern of the ship； her eyes on the dwindling
continent。 It dwindled very fast for so big a place。 I accosted
her； having had no conversation with her amid the crowd of leave…
takers and the muddle of farewells before we put off； we talked a
little about the boat； our fellow…passengers and our prospects； and
then I said： 〃I think you mentioned last night a name I knowthat
of Mr。 Porterfield。〃
〃Oh no I didn't！〃 she answered very straight while she smiled at me
through her closely…drawn veil。
〃Then it was your mother。〃
〃Very likely it was my mother。〃 And she continued to smile as if I
ought to have known the difference。
〃I venture to allude to him because I've an idea I used to know him；〃
I went on。
〃Oh I see。〃 And beyond this remark she appeared to take no interest；
she left it to me to make any connexion。
〃That is if it's the same one。〃 It struck me as feeble to say
nothing more； so I added 〃My Mr。 Porterfield was called David。〃
〃Well； so is ours。〃 〃Ours〃 affected me as clever。
〃I suppose I shall see him again if he's to meet you at Liverpool；〃 I
continued。
〃Well； it will be bad if he doesn't。〃
It was too soon for me to have the idea that it would be bad if he
did： that only came later。 So I remarked that； not having seen him
for so many years； it was very possible I shouldn't know him。
〃Well； I've not seen him for a considerable time； but I expect I
shall know him all the same。〃
〃Oh with you it's different；〃 I returned with harmlessly bright
significance。 〃Hasn't he been back since those days？〃
〃I don't know；〃 she sturdily professed； 〃what days you mean。〃
〃When I knew him in Parisages ago。 He was a pupil of the Ecole des
Beaux Arts。 He was studying architecture。〃
〃Well； he's studying it still；〃 said Grace Mavis。
〃Hasn't he learned it yet？〃
〃I don't know what he has learned。 I shall see。〃 Then she added for
the benefit of my perhaps undue levity： 〃Architecture's very
difficult and he's tremendously thorough。〃
〃Oh yes； I remember that。 He was an admirable worker。 But he must
have become quite a foreigner if it's so many years since he has been
at home。〃
She seemed to regard this proposition at first as complicated； but
she did what she could for me。 〃Oh he's not changeable。 If he were
changeable〃
Then； however； she paused。 I daresay she had been going to observe
that if he were changeable he would long ago have given her up。
After an instant she went on： 〃He wouldn't have stuck so to his
profession。 You can't make much by it。〃
I sought to attenuate her rather odd maidenly grimness。 〃It depends
on what you call much。〃
〃It doesn't make you rich。〃
〃Oh of course you've got to practise itand to practise it long。〃
〃Yesso Mr。 Porterfield says。〃
Something in the way she uttered these words made me laughthey were
so calm an implication that the gentleman in question didn't live up
to his principles。 But I checked myself； asking her if she expected
to remain in Europe longto what one might call settle。
〃Well； it will be a good while if it takes me as long to come back as
it has taken me to go out。〃
〃And I think your mother said last night that it was your first
visit。〃
Miss Mavis； in her deliberate way； met my eyes。 〃Didn't mother
talk！〃
〃It was all very interesting。〃
She continued to look at me。 〃You don't think that；〃 she then simply
stated。
〃What have I to gain then by saying it？〃
〃Oh men have always something to gain。〃
〃You make me in that case feel a terrible failure！ I hope at any
rate that it gives you pleasure；〃 I went on； 〃the idea of seeing
foreign lands。〃
〃MercyI should think so！〃
This was almost genial； and it cheered me proportionately。 〃It's a
pity our ship's not one of the fast ones； if you're impatient。〃
She was silent a little after which she brought out： 〃Oh I guess
it'll be fast enough！〃
That evening I went in to see Mrs。 Nettlepoint and sat on her sea…
trunk；