ess: "The handsome one who sits _there_. Didn't you tell me he's
Mrs. Nettlepoint's son?"

"Oh yes--he 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 suppose--as 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 course--a 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 sw