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appreciable distance； where he did not escape a final stab from Lottie。
〃Oh； do give me a rose out of that；〃 she entreated； in travestied
imploring； as he stood looking at a withered bouquet which the steward
had brought up with his rugs。
〃I'm takin' it home；〃 he explained； coldly。
〃And I want to take a rose back to New York。 I want to give it to a
friend of mine there。〃
Mr。 Pogis hesitated。 Then he asked； 〃A man？〃 〃Well； rather！〃 said
Lottie。
He answered nothing； but looked definitively down at the flowers in his
hand。
〃Oh； I say！〃 Lottie exulted。
Boyne remained fixed in fealty to the Rasmiths； with whom Breckon was
also talking as Mrs。 Kenton came up with the judge。 She explained how
sorry her daughter Ellen was at not being able to say goodbye； she was
still not at all well； and the ladies received her excuses with polite
patience。 Mrs。 Rasmith said she did not know what they should do without
Boyne； and Miss Rasmith put her arm across his shoulders and pulled him
up to her； and implored； 〃Oh； give him to me； Mrs。 Kenton！〃
Boyne stole an ashamed look at his mother； and his father said； with an
unbending to Breckon which must have been the effect of severe
expostulation from Mrs。 Kenton； 〃I suppose you and the ladies will go to
Paris together。〃
〃Why； no；〃 Breckon said； and he added； with mounting confusion； 〃II had
arranged to keep on to Rotterdam。 I was going to mention it。〃
〃Keep on to Rotterdam！〃 Mrs。 Rasmith's eyes expressed the greatest
astonishment。
〃Why； of course； mother！〃 said her daughter。 〃Don't you know？ Boyne
told us。〃
Boyne； after their parting； seized the first chance of assuring his
mother that he had not told Miss Rasmith that； for he had not known it；
and he went so far in her condemnation to wonder how she could say such
a thing。 His mother said it was not very nice； and then suggested that
perhaps she had heard it from some one else； and thought it was he。 She
acquitted him of complicity with Miss Rasmith in forbearing to contradict
her； and it seemed to her a fitting time to find out from Boyne what she
honestly could about the relation of the Rasmiths to Mr。 Breckon。 It was
very little beyond their supposition； which every one else had shared；
that he was going to land with them at Boulogne； and he must have changed
his mind very suddenly。 Boyne had not heard the Rasmiths speak of it。
Miss Rasmith never spoke of Mr。 Breckon at all； but she seemed to want to
talk of Ellen； she was always asking about her； and what was the matter
with her； and how long she had been sick。
〃Boyne；〃 said his mother； with a pang； 〃you didn't tell her anything
about Ellen？〃
〃Momma！〃 said the boy； in such evident abhorrence of the idea that she
rested tranquil concerning it。 She paid little attention to what Boyne
told her otherwise of the Rasmiths。 Her own horizon were so limited that
she could not have brought home to herself within them that wandering
life the Rasmiths led from climate to climate and sensation to sensation；
with no stay so long as the annually made in New York； where they
sometimes passed months enough to establish themselves in giving and
taking tea in a circle of kindred nomads。 She conjectured as ignorantly
as Boyne himself that they were very rich； and it would not have
enlightened her to know that the mother was the widow of a California
politician； whom she had married in the sort of middle period following
upon her less mortuary survival of Miss Rasmith's father； whose name was
not Rasmith。
What Mrs。 Kenton divined was that they had wanted to get Breckon； and
that so far as concerned her own interest in him they had wanted to get
him away from Ellen。 In her innermost self…confidences she did not
permit herself the notion that Ellen had any right to him； but still it
was a relief to have them off the ship； and to have him left。 Of all the
witnesses of the fact； she alone did not find it awkward。 Breckon
himself found it very awkward。 He did not wish to be with the Rasmiths；
but he found it uncomfortable not being with them； under the
circumstances； and he followed them ashore in tingling reveries of
explanation and apology。 He had certainly meant to get off at Boulogne；
and when he had suddenly and tardily made up his mind to keep on to
Rotterdam； he had meant to tell them as soon as he had the labels on his
baggage changed。 He had not meant to tell them why he had changed his
mind； and he did not tell them now in these tingling reveries。 He did
not own the reason in his secret thoughts； for it no longer seemed a
reason； it no longer seemed a cause。 He knew what the Rasmiths would
think； but he could easily make that right with his conscience； at least；
by parting with the Kentons at Rotterdam； and leaving them to find their
unconducted way to any point they chose beyond。 He separated himself
uncomfortably from them when the tender had put off with her passengers
and the ship had got under way again； and went to the smoking…room； while
the judge returned to his book and Mrs。 Kenton abandoned Lottie to her
own devices； and took Boyne aside for her apparently fruitless inquiries。
They were not really so fruitless but that at the end of them she could
go with due authority to look up her husband。 She gently took his book
from him and shut it up。 〃Now； Mr。 Kenton；〃 she began； 〃if you don't go
right straight and find Mr。 Breckon and talk with him； II don't know
what I will do。 You must talk to him〃
〃About Ellen？〃 the judge frowned。
〃No； certainly not。 Talk with him about anything that interests you。 Be
pleasant to him。 Can't you see that he's going on to Rotterdam on our
account？〃
〃Then I wish he wasn't。 There's no use in it。〃
〃No matter！ It's polite in him； and I want you to show him that you
appreciate it。〃
〃Now see here； Sarah；〃 said the judge； 〃if you want him shown that we
appreciate his politeness why don't you do it yourself？〃
〃I？ Because it would look as if you were afraid to。 It would look as if
we meant something by it。〃
〃Well； I am afraid； and that's just what I'm afraid of。 I declare； my
heart comes into my mouth whenever I think what an escape we had。 I
think of it whenever I look at him； and I couldn't talk to him without
having that in my mind all the time。 No； women can manage those things
better。 If you believe he is going along on our account； so as to help
us see Holland； and to keep us from getting into scrapes； you're the one
to make it up to him。 I don't care what you say to show him our
gratitude。 I reckon we will get into all sorts of trouble if we're left
to ourselves。 But if you think he's stayed because he wants to be with
Ellen； and〃
〃Oh； I don't KNOW what I think！ And that's silly I can't talk to him。
I'm afraid it'll seem as if we wanted to flatter him； and goodness knows
we don't want to。 Or； yes； we do！ I'd give anything if it was true。
Rufus； do you suppose he did stay on her account？ My； oh； my！ If I
could only think so！ Wouldn't it be the best thing in the world for the
poor child； and for all of us？ I never saw anybody that I liked so much。
But it's too good to be true。〃
〃He's a nice fellow； but I don't think he's any too good for Ellen。〃
〃I'm not saying he is。 The great thing is that he's good enough； and
gracious knows what will happen if she meets some other worthless fellow；
and gets befooled with him！ Or if she doesn't take a fancy to some one；
and goes back to Tuskingum without seeing any one else she likes； there
is that awful wretch； and when she hears what Dick did to himshe's just
wrong…headed enough to take up with him again to make amends to him。 Oh；
dear oh； dear！ I know Lottie will let it out to her yet！〃
The judge began threateningly； 〃You tell Lottie from me〃
〃What？〃 said the girl herself； who had seen her father and mother
talking together in a remote corner of the music…room and had stolen
light…footedly upon them just at this moment。
〃Lottie； child；〃 said her mother； undismayed at Lottie's arrival in her
larger anxiety； 〃I wish you would try and be agreeable to Mr。 Breckon。
Now that he's going on with us to Holland； I