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in retreat from the serious proposition。 〃But it wouldn't do to try
making each other cry instead of laugh； would it？ I suppose your sister
would rather have me cry。〃
〃I don't believe Lottie thought much about it；〃 said Ellen； and at this
point Mr。 Breckon yielded to an impulse。
〃I should think I had really been of some use if I had made you laugh；
Miss Kenton。〃
〃Me？〃
〃You look as if you laughed with your whole heart when you did laugh。〃
She glanced about； and Breckon decided that she had found him too
personal。 〃I wonder if I could walk； with the ship tipping so？〃 she
asked。
〃Well； not far；〃 said Breckon； with a provisional smile； and then he was
frightened from his irony by her flinging aside her wraps and starting to
her feet。 Before he could scramble to his own； she had slid down the
reeling promenade half to the guard； over which she seemed about to
plunge。 He hurled himself after her； he could not have done otherwise；
and it was as much in a wild clutch for support as in a purpose to save
her that he caught her in his arms and braced himself against the ship's
slant。 〃Where are you going？ What are you trying to do？〃 he shouted。
〃I wanted to go down…stairs；〃 she protested； clinging to him。
〃You were nearer going overboard；〃 he retorted。 〃You shouldn't have
tried。〃 He had not fully formulated his reproach when the ship righted
herself with a counter…roll and plunge； and they were swung staggering
back together against the bulkhead。 The door of the gangway was within
reach； and Breckon laid hold of the rail beside it and put the girl
within。 〃Are you hurt？〃 he asked。
〃No； no； I'm not hurt；〃 she panted； sinking on the cushioned benching
where usually rows of semi…sea…sick people were lying。
〃I thought you might have been bruised against the bulkhead；〃 he said。
〃Are you sure you're not hurt that I can't get you anything？ From the
steward； I mean？〃
〃Only help me down…stairs；〃 she answered。 〃I'm perfectly well；〃 and
Breckon was so willing on these terms to close the incident that he was
not aware of the bruise on his own arm； which afterwards declared itself
in several primitive colors。 〃Don't tell them；〃 she added。 〃I want to
come up again。〃
〃Why； certainly not；〃 he consented； but Boyne Kenton； who had been an
involuntary witness of the fact from a point on the forward promenade；
where he had stationed himself to study the habits of the stormy petrel
at a moment so favorable to the acquaintance of the petrel （having left
a seasick bed for the purpose）； was of another mind。 He had been
alarmed； and； as it appeared in the private interview which he demanded
of his mother； he had been scandalized。
〃It is bad enough the way Lottie is always going on with fellows。 And
now； if Ellen is going to begin！〃
〃 But； Boyne； child；〃 Mrs。 Kenton argued； in an equilibrium between the
wish to laugh at her son and the wish to box his ears； 〃how could she
help his catching her if he was to save her from pitching overboard？〃
〃That's just it！ He will always think that she did it just so he would
have to catch her。〃
〃I don't believe any one would think that of Ellen；〃 said Mrs。 Kenton；
gravely。
〃Momma！ You don't know what these Eastern fellows are。 There are so few
of them that they're used to having girls throw themselves at them； and
they will think anything； ministers and all。 You ought to talk to Ellen；
and caution her。 Of course； she isn't like Lottie； but if Lottie's been
behaving her way with Mr。 Breckon； he must suppose the rest of the family
is like her。〃
〃Boyne；〃 said his mother； provisionally； 〃what sort of person is Mr。
Breckon？〃
〃Well； I think he's kind of frivolous。〃
〃Do you； Boyne？〃
〃I don't suppose he means any harm by it； but I don't like to see a
minister laugh so much。 I can't hardly get him to talk seriously about
anything。 And I just know he makes fun of Lottie。 I don't mean that he
always makes fun with me。 He didn't that night at the vaudeville； where
I first saw him。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃Don't you remember？ I told you about it last winter。〃
〃And was Mr。 Breckon that gentleman？〃
〃Yes； but he didn't know who I was when we met here。〃
〃Well； upon my word； Boyne； I think you might have told us before；〃 said
his mother； in not very definite vexation。 〃Go along； now！〃
Boyne stood talking to his mother； with his hands； which he had not grown
to； largely planted on the jambs of her state…room door。 She was keeping
her berth； not so much because she was sea…sick as because it was the
safest place in the unsteady ship to be in。 〃Do you want me to send
Ellen to you！〃
〃I will attend to Ellen； Boyne；〃 his mother snubbed him。 〃How is
Lottie？〃
〃I can't tell whether she's sick or not。 I went to see about her and she
motioned me away； and fairly screamed when I told her she ought to keep
out in the air。 Well； I must be going up again myself； or〃
Before lunch； Boyne had experienced the alternative which he did not
express； although his theory and practice of keeping in the open air
ought to have rendered him immune。 Breckon saw his shock of hair； and
his large eyes； like Ellen's in their present gloom； looking out of it on
the pillow of the upper berth； when he went to their room to freshen
himself for the luncheon； and found Boyne averse even to serious
conversation： He went to lunch without him。 None of the Kentons were at
table； and he had made up his mind to lunch alone when Ellen appeared；
and came wavering down the aisle to the table。 He stood up to help her；
but seeing how securely she stayed herself from chair to chair he sank
down again。
〃Poppy is sick； too； now；〃 she replied； as if to account for being alone。
〃And you're none the worse for your little promenade？〃 The steward came
to Breckon's left shoulder with a dish； and after an effort to serve
himself from it he said； with a slight gasp； 〃The other side； please。〃
Ellen looked at him； but did not speak； and he made haste to say： 〃The
doctor goes so far as to admit that its half a gale。 I don't know just
what measure the first officer would have for it。 But I congratulate you
on a very typical little storm； Miss Kenton； perfectly safe； but very
decided。 A great many people cross the Atlantic without anything half as
satisfactory。 There is either too much or too little of this sort of
thing。〃 He went on talking about the weather； and had got such a
distance from the point of beginning that he had cause to repent being
brought back to it when she asked：
〃Did the doctor think； you were hurt？〃
〃Well； perhaps I ought to be more ashamed than I am；〃 said Breckon。
〃But I thought I had better make sure。 And it's only a bruise〃
〃Won't you let ME help you！〃 she asked； as another dish intervened at his
right。 〃I hurt you。〃
Breckon laughed at her solemn face and voice。 〃If you'll exonerate
yourself first；〃 he answered： 〃I couldn't touch a morsel that conveyed
confession of the least culpability on your part。 Do you consent？
Otherwise； I pass this dish。 And really I want some！〃
〃Well；〃 she sadly consented； and he allowed her to serve his plate。
〃More yet； please；〃 he said。 〃A lot！〃
〃Is that enough？〃
〃Well； for the first helping。 And don't offer to cut it up for me！ My
proud spirit draws the line at cutting up。 Besides； a fork will do the
work with goulash。〃
〃Is that what it is？〃 she asked； but not apparently because she cared to
know。
〃Unless you prefer to naturalize it as stew。 It seems to have come in
with the Hungarian bands。 I suppose you have them in〃
〃Tuskingum？ No； it is too small。 But I heard them at a restaurant in
New York where my brother took us。〃
〃In the spirit of scientific investigation？ It's strange how a common
principle seems to pervade both the Hungarian music and cookingthe same
wandering airs and flavorswild； vague； lawless harmonies in both。 Did
you notice it？〃
Ellen shook her head。 The look of gloom which seemed to Breckon habitual
in it came back into her face； and he had a fantastic temptation to see
how far he could go with her sad consciousness before she should be aware
that he was experimentin