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〃Not half；〃 said Lottie。
〃Oh； do finish the half with me！〃
Lottie instantly rose； and flung her sister the wrap she had been holding
ready to shed from the moment the young man had come up。 〃Keep that for
me； Nell。 Are you good at catching？〃 she asked him。
〃Catching？〃
〃Yes！ People；〃 she explained； and at a sudden twist of the ship she made
a clutch at his shoulder。
〃Oh！ I think I can catch you。〃
As they moved off together； Boyne said； 〃Well； upon my word！〃 but Ellen
did not say anything in comment on Lottie。 After a while she asked； 〃Who
were the ladies that Mr。 Breckon met？〃
〃I didn't hear their names。 They were somebody he hadn't seen before
since the ship started。 They looked like a young lady and her mother。
It made Lottie mad when he stopped to speak with them； and she wouldn't
wait till he could get through。 Ran right away； and made me come； too。〃
XIII。
Breckon had not seen the former interest between himself and Ellen lapse
to commonplace acquaintance without due sense of loss。 He suffered
justly； but he did not suffer passively； or without several attempts to
regain the higher ground。 In spite of these he was aware of being
distinctly kept to the level which he accused himself of having chosen；
by a gentle acquiescence in his choice more fatal than snubbing。 The
advances that he made across the table； while he still met Miss Kenton
alone there； did not carry beyond the rack supporting her plate。 She
talked on whatever subject he started with that angelic sincerity which
now seemed so far from him； but she started none herself； she did not
appeal to him for his opinion upon any question more psychological than
the barometer； and；
〃In a tumultuous privacy of storm；〃
he found himself as much estranged from her as if a fair…weather crowd
had surrounded them。 He did not believe that she resented the levity he
had shown； but he had reason to fear that she had finally accepted it as
his normal mood； and in her efforts to meet him in it； as if he had no
other； he read a tolerance that was worse than contempt。 When he tried
to make her think differently； if that was what she thought of him； he
fancied her rising to the notion he wished to give her； and then
shrinking from it； as if it must bring her the disappointment of some
trivial joke。
It was what he had taught her to expect of him； and he had himself to
blame。 Now that he had thrown that precious chance away； he might well
have overvalued it。 She had certain provincialisms which he could not
ignore。 She did not know the right use of will and shall； and would and
should； and she pronounced the letter 'r' with a hard mid…Western twist。
Her voice was weak and thin； and she could not govern it from being at
times a gasp and at times a drawl。 She did not dress with the authority
of women who know more of their clothes than the people they buy them of；
she did not carry herself like a pretty girl； she had not the definite
stamp of young…ladyism。 Yet she was undoubtedly a lady in every
instinct； she wore with pensive grace the clothes which she had not
subjected to her personal taste； and if she did not carry herself like a
pretty girl； she had a beauty which touched and entreated。
More and more Breckon found himself studying her beautyher soft； brown
brows； her gentle； dark eyes； a little sunken； and with the lids pinched
by suffering； the cheeks somewhat thin； but not colorless； the long chin；
the clear forehead； and the massed brown hair； that seemed too heavy for
the drooping neck。 It was not the modern athletic type； it was rather of
the earlier period； when beauty was associated with the fragility
despised by a tanned and golfing generation。 Ellen Kenton's wrists were
thin； and her hands long and narrow。 As he looked at her across the
racks during those two days of storm； he had sometimes the wish to take
her long； narrow hands in his； and beg her to believe that he was
worthier her serious friendship than he had shown himself。 What he was
sure of at all times now was that he wished to know the secret of that
patient pathos of hers。 She was not merely； or primarily； an invalid。
Her family had treated her as an invalid； but； except Lottie； whose rigor
might have been meant sanatively； they treated her more with the
tenderness people use with a wounded spirit； and Breckon fancied moments
of something like humility in her； when she seemed to cower from his
notice。 These were not so imaginable after her family took to their
berths and left her alone with him； but the touching mystery remained； a
sort of bewilderment； as he guessed it； a surprise such as a child might
show at some incomprehensible harm。 It was this grief which he had
refused not merely to knowhe still doubted his right to know itbut to
share； he had denied not only his curiosity but his sympathy； and had
exiled himself to a region where； when her family came back with the fair
weather； he felt himself farther from her than before their acquaintance
began。
He had made an overture to its renewal in the book he lent her； and then
Mrs。 Rasmith and her daughter had appeared on deck； and borne down upon
him when he was walking with Lottie Kenton and trying to begin his self…
retrieval through her。 She had left him； but they had not； and in the
bonds of a prophet and his followers he found himself bound with them for
much more conversation than he had often held with them ashore。 The
parochial duties of an ethical teacher were not strenuous； and Breckon
had not been made to feel them so definitely before。 Mrs。 Rasmith held
that they now included promising to sit at her table for the rest of the
voyage； but her daughter succeeded in releasing him from the obligation；
and it was she who smilingly detached the clinging hold of the elder
lady。 〃We mustn't keep Mr。 Breckon from his friends； mother；〃 she said；
brightly； and then he said he should like the pleasure of introducing
them； and both of the ladies declared that they would be delighted。
He bowed himself off； and half the ship's…length away he was aware； from
meeting Lottie with her little Englishman； that it was she and not Ellen
whom he was seeking。 As the couple paused in whirring past Breckon long
enough to let Lottie make her hat fast against the wind； he heard the
Englishman shout：
〃I say； that sister of yours is a fine girl； isn't she？〃
〃She's a pretty goodlooker；〃 Lottie answered back。 〃What's the matter
with HER sister？〃
〃Oh； I say！〃 her companion returned； in a transport with her slangy
pertness； which Breckon could not altogether refuse to share。
He thought that he ought to condemn it； and he did condemn Mrs。 Kenton
for allowing it in one of her daughters； when he came up to her sitting
beside another whom he felt inexpressibly incapable of it。 Mrs。 Kenton
could have answered his censure； if she had known it； that daughters；
like sons； were not what their mothers but what their environments made
them； and that the same environment sometimes made them different； as he
saw。 She could have told him that Lottie； with her slangy pertness； had
the truest and best of the men she knew at her feet； and that Ellen； with
her meekness； had been the prey of the commonest and cheapest spirit in
her world； and so left him to make an inference as creditable to his sex
as he could。 But this bold defence was as far from the poor lady as any
spoken reproach was from him。 Her daughter had to check in her a
mechanical offer to rise； as if to give Breckon her place； the theory and
practice of Tuskingum being that their elders ought to leave young people
alone together。
〃Don't go； momma；〃 Ellen whispered。 〃I don't want you to go。〃
Breckon； when he arrived before them； remained talking on foot； and；
unlike Lottie's company； he talked to the mother。 This had happened
before from him； but she had not got used to it； and now she deprecated
in everything but words his polite questions about her sufferings from
the rough weather； and his rejoicing that the worst was probably over。
She ventured the hope that it was so； for she said that M