按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
continued； 〃that when a woman acts from a sense of honour！〃
〃Well； when she does？〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint； for I hung back
perceptibly。
〃It's often so extravagant and unnatural a proceeding as to entail
heavy costs on some one。〃
〃You're very impertinent。 We all have to pay for each other all the
while and for each other's virtues as well as vices。〃
〃That's precisely why I shall be sorry for Mr。 Porterfield when she
steps off the ship with her little bill。 I mean with her teeth
clenched。〃
〃Her teeth are not in the least clenched。 She's quite at her ease
now〃Mrs。 Nettlepoint could answer for that。
〃Well； we must try and keep her so；〃 I said。
〃You must take care that Jasper neglects nothing。〃 I scarce know
what reflexions this innocent pleasantry of mine provoked on the good
lady's part； the upshot of them at all events was to make her say：
〃Well； I never asked her to come； I'm very glad of that。 It's all
their own doing。〃
〃'Their' ownyou mean Jasper's and hers？〃
〃No indeed。 I mean her mother's and Mrs。 Allen's； the girl's too of
course。 They put themselves on us by main force。〃
〃Oh yes； I can testify to that。 Therefore I'm glad too。 We should
have missed it； I think。〃
〃How seriously you take it！〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint amusedly cried。
〃Ah wait a few days！〃and I got up to leave her。
CHAPTER III
The Patagonia was slow； but spacious and comfortable； and there was a
motherly decency in her long nursing rock and her rustling old…
fashioned gait； the multitudinous swish； in her wake； as of a
thousand proper petticoats。 It was as if she wished not to present
herself in port with the splashed eagerness of a young creature。 We
weren't numerous enough quite to elbow each other and yet weren't too
few to supportwith that familiarity and relief which figures and
objects acquire on the great bare field of the ocean and under the
great bright glass of the sky。 I had never liked the sea so much
before； indeed I had never liked it at all； but now I had a
revelation of how in a midsummer mood it could please。 It was darkly
and magnificently blue and imperturbably quietsave for the great
regular swell of its heartbeats； the pulse of its life； and there
grew to be something so agreeable in the sense of floating there in
infinite isolation and leisure that it was a positive godsend the
Patagonia was no racer。 One had never thought of the sea as the
great place of safety； but now it came over one that there's no place
so safe from the land。 When it doesn't confer trouble it takes
trouble awaytakes away letters and telegrams and newspapers and
visits and duties and efforts； all the complications； all the
superfluities and superstitions that we have stuffed into our terrene
life。 The simple absence of the post； when the particular conditions
enable you to enjoy the great fact by which it's produced； becomes in
itself a positive bliss； and the clean boards of the deck turn to the
stage of a play that amuses； the personal drama of the voyage； the
movement and interaction； in the strong sea…light； of figures that
end by representing somethingsomething moreover of which the
interest is never； even in its keenness； too great to suffer you to
slumber。 I at any rate dozed to excess； stretched on my rug with a
French novel； and when I opened my eyes I generally saw Jasper
Nettlepoint pass with the young woman confided to his mother's care
on his arm。 Somehow at these moments； between sleeping and waking； I
inconsequently felt that my French novel had set them in motion。
Perhaps this was because I had fallen into the trick； at the start；
of regarding Grace Mavis almost as a married woman； which； as every
one knows； is the necessary status of the heroine of such a work。
Every revolution of our engine at any rate would contribute to the
effect of making her one。
In the saloon； at meals； my neighbour on the right was a certain
little Mrs。 Peck； a very short and very round person whose head was
enveloped in a 〃cloud〃 （a cloud of dirty white wool） and who promptly
let me know that she was going to Europe for the education of her
children。 I had already perceivedan hour after we left the dock
that some energetic measure was required in their interest； but as we
were not in Europe yet the redemption of the four little Pecks was
stayed。 Enjoying untrammelled leisure they swarmed about the ship as
if they had been pirates boarding her； and their mother was as
powerless to check their licence as if she had been gagged and stowed
away in the hold。 They were especially to be trusted to dive between
the legs of the stewards when these attendants arrived with bowls of
soup for the languid ladies。 Their mother was too busy counting over
to her fellow…passengers all the years Miss Mavis had been engaged。
In the blank of our common detachment things that were nobody's
business very soon became everybody's； and this was just one of those
facts that are propagated with mysterious and ridiculous speed。 The
whisper that carries them is very small； in the great scale of
things； of air and space and progress； but it's also very safe； for
there's no compression； no sounding…board； to make speakers
responsible。 And then repetition at sea is somehow not repetition；
monotony is in the air； the mind is flat and everything recursthe
bells； the meals； the stewards' faces； the romp of children； the
walk； the clothes； the very shoes and buttons of passengers taking
their exercise。 These things finally grow at once so circumstantial
and so arid that； in comparison； lights on the personal history of
one's companions become a substitute for the friendly flicker of the
lost fireside。
Jasper Nettlepoint sat on my left hand when he was not upstairs
seeing that Miss Mavis had her repast comfortably on deck。 His
mother's place would have been next mine had she shown herself； and
then that of the young lady under her care。 These companions； in
other words； would have been between us； Jasper marking the limit of
the party in that quarter。 Miss Mavis was present at luncheon the
first day； but dinner passed without her coming in； and when it was
half over Jasper remarked that he would go up and look after her。
〃Isn't that young lady comingthe one who was here to lunch？〃 Mrs。
Peck asked of me as he left the saloon。
〃Apparently not。 My friend tells me she doesn't like the saloon。〃
〃You don't mean to say she's sick； do you？〃
〃Oh no； not in this weather。 But she likes to be above。〃
〃And is that gentleman gone up to her？〃
〃Yes； she's under his mother's care。〃
〃And is his mother up there； too？〃 asked Mrs。 Peck； whose processes
were homely and direct。
〃No； she remains in her cabin。 People have different tastes。
Perhaps that's one reason why Miss Mavis doesn't come to table；〃 I
added〃her chaperon not being able to accompany her。〃
〃Her chaperon？〃 my fellow passenger echoed。
〃Mrs。 Nettlepointthe lady under whose protection she happens to
be。〃
〃Protection？〃 Mrs。 Peck stared at me a moment； moving some valued
morsel in her mouth； then she exclaimed familiarly 〃Pshaw！〃 I was
struck with this and was on the point of asking her what she meant by
it when she continued： 〃Ain't we going to see Mrs。 Nettlepoint？〃
〃I'm afraid not。 She vows she won't stir from her sofa。〃
〃Pshaw！〃 said Mrs。 Peck again。 〃That's quite a disappointment。〃
〃Do you know her then？〃
〃No； but I know all about her。〃 Then my companion added： 〃You don't
mean to say she's any real relation？〃
〃Do you mean to me？〃
〃No； to Grace Mavis。〃
〃None at all。 They're very new friends； as I happen to know。 Then
you're acquainted with our young lady？〃 I hadn't noticed the passage
of any recognition between them at luncheon。
〃Is she your young lady too？〃 asked Mrs。 Peck with high significance。
〃Ah when