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〃Is she your young lady too？〃 asked Mrs。 Peck with high significance。
〃Ah when people are in the same boatliterallythey belong a little
to each other。〃
〃That's so；〃 said Mrs。 Peck。 〃I don't know Miss Mavis； but I know
all about herI live opposite to her on Merrimac Avenue。 I don't
know whether you know that part。〃
〃Oh yesit's very beautiful。〃
The consequence of this remark was another 〃Pshaw！〃 But Mrs。 Peck
went on： 〃When you've lived opposite to people like that for a long
time you feel as if you had some rights in themtit for tat！ But
she didn't take it up today； she didn't speak to me。 She knows who I
am as well as she knows her own mother。〃
〃You had better speak to her firstshe's constitutionally shy；〃 I
remarked。
〃Shy？ She's constitutionally tough！ Why she's thirty years old；〃
cried my neighbour。 〃I suppose you know where she's going。〃
〃Oh yeswe all take an interest in that。〃
〃That young man； I suppose； particularly。〃 And then as I feigned a
vagueness： 〃The handsome one who sits THERE。 Didn't you tell me
he's Mrs。 Nettlepoint's son？〃
〃Oh yeshe acts as her deputy。 No doubt he does all he can to carry
out her function。〃
Mrs。 Peck briefly brooded。 I had spoken jocosely； but she took it
with a serious face。 〃Well； she might let him eat his dinner in
peace！〃 she presently put forth。
〃Oh he'll come back！〃 I said； glancing at his place。 The repast
continued and when it was finished I screwed my chair round to leave
the table。 Mrs。 Peck performed the same movement and we quitted the
saloon together。 Outside of it was the usual vestibule； with several
seats； from which you could descend to the lower cabins or mount to
the promenade…deck。 Mrs。 Peck appeared to hesitate as to her course
and then solved the problem by going neither way。 She dropped on one
of the benches and looked up at me。
〃I thought you said he'd come back。〃
〃Young Nettlepoint？ Yes； I see he didn't。 Miss Mavis then has given
him half her dinner。〃
〃It's very kind of her！ She has been engaged half her life。〃
〃Yes； but that will soon be over。〃
〃So I supposeas quick as ever we land。 Every one knows it on
Merrimac Avenue；〃 Mrs。 Peck pursued。 〃Every one there takes a great
interest in it。〃
〃Ah of coursea girl like that has many friends。〃
But my informant discriminated。 〃I mean even people who don't know
her。〃
〃I see；〃 I went on： 〃she's so handsome that she attracts attention
people enter into her affairs。〃
Mrs。 Peck spoke as from the commanding centre of these。 〃She USED to
be pretty； but I can't say I think she's anything remarkable today。
Anyhow； if she attracts attention she ought to be all the more
careful what she does。 You had better tell her that。〃
〃Oh it's none of my business！〃 I easily made out； leaving the
terrible little woman and going above。 This profession； I grant； was
not perfectly attuned to my real idea； or rather my real idea was not
quite in harmony with my profession。 The very first thing I did on
reaching the deck was to notice that Miss Mavis was pacing it on
Jasper Nettlepoint's arm and that whatever beauty she might have
lost； according to Mrs。 Peck's insinuation； she still kept enough to
make one's eyes follow her。 She had put on a crimson hood； which was
very becoming to her and which she wore for the rest of the voyage。
She walked very well； with long steps； and I remember that at this
moment the sea had a gentle evening swell which made the great ship
dip slowly； rhythmically； giving a movement that was graceful to
graceful pedestrians and a more awkward one to the awkward。 It was
the loveliest hour of a fine day； the clear early evening； with the
glow of the sunset in the air and a purple colour on the deep。 It
was always present to me that so the waters ploughed by the Homeric
heroes must have looked。 I became conscious on this particular
occasion moreover that Grace Mavis would for the rest of the voyage
be the most visible thing in one's range； the figure that would count
most in the composition of groups。 She couldn't help it； poor girl；
nature had made her conspicuousimportant； as the painters say。 She
paid for it by the corresponding exposure； the danger that people
would； as I had said to Mrs。 Peck； enter into her affairs。
Jasper Nettlepoint went down at certain times to see his mother； and
I watched for one of these occasionson the third day outand took
advantage of it to go and sit by Miss Mavis。 She wore a light blue
veil drawn tightly over her face； so that if the smile with which she
greeted me rather lacked intensity I could account for it partly by
that。
〃Well； we're getting onwe're getting on；〃 I said cheerfully；
looking at the friendly twinkling sea。
〃Are we going very fast？〃
〃Not fast； but steadily。 Ohne Hast； ohne Rastdo you know German？〃
〃Well； I've studied itsome。〃
〃It will be useful to you over there when you travel。〃
〃Well yes； if we do。 But I don't suppose we shall much。 Mr。
Nettlepoint says we ought；〃 my young woman added in a moment。
〃Ah of course HE thinks so。 He has been all over the world。〃
〃Yes； he has described some of the places。 They must be wonderful。
I didn't know I should like it so much。〃
〃But it isn't 'Europe' yet！〃 I laughed。
Well； she didn't care if it wasn't。 〃I mean going on this way。 I
could go on for everfor ever and ever。〃
〃Ah you know it's not always like this；〃 I hastened to mention。
〃Well； it's better than Boston。〃
〃It isn't so good as Paris；〃 I still more portentously noted。
〃Oh I know all about Paris。 There's no freshness in that。 I feel as
if I had been there all the time。〃
〃You mean you've heard so much of it？〃
〃Oh yes； nothing else for ten years。〃
I had come to talk with Miss Mavis because she was attractive； but I
had been rather conscious of the absence of a good topic； not feeling
at liberty to revert to Mr。 Porterfield。 She hadn't encouraged me；
when I spoke to her as we were leaving Boston； to go on with the
history of my acquaintance with this gentleman； and yet now；
unexpectedly； she appeared to implyit was doubtless one of the
disparities mentioned by Mrs。 Nettlepointthat he might be glanced
at without indelicacy。
〃I seeyou mean by letters；〃 I remarked。
〃We won't live in a good part。 I know enough to know that；〃 she went
on。
〃Well； it isn't as if there were any very bad ones；〃 I answered
reassuringly。
〃Why Mr。 Nettlepoint says it's regular mean。〃
〃And to what does he apply that expression？〃
She eyed me a moment as if I were elegant at her expense； but she
answered my question。 〃Up there in the Batignolles。 I seem to make
out it's worse than Merrimac Avenue。〃
〃Worsein what way？〃
〃Why； even less where the nice people live。〃
〃He oughtn't to say that；〃 I returned。 And I ventured to back it up。
〃Don't you call Mr。 Porterfield a nice person？〃
〃Oh it doesn't make any difference。〃 She watched me again a moment
through her veil； the texture of which gave her look a suffused
prettiness。 〃Do you know him very little？〃 she asked。
〃Mr。 Porterfield？〃
〃No； Mr。 Nettlepoint。〃
〃Ah very little。 He's very considerably my junior； you see。〃
She had a fresh pause； as if almost again for my elegance； but she
went on： 〃He's younger than me too。〃 I don't know what effect of
the comic there could have been in it； but the turn was unexpected
and it made me laugh。 Neither do I know whether Miss Mavis took
offence at my sensibility on this head； though I remember thinking at
the moment with compunction that it had brought a flush to her cheek。
At all events she got up； gathering her shawl and her books into her
arm。 〃I'm going downI'm tired。〃
〃Tired of me； I'm afraid。〃
〃No； not yet。〃
〃I'm like you；〃 I confessed。 〃I should like it