vers sat up
suddenly. What a horrible nuisance, thought d'Alcacer, fixing his eyes
on the tips of his shoes with the hope that perhaps the other would lie
down again. Mr. Travers spoke.

"Still up, d'Alcacer?"

"I assure you it isn't late. It's dark at six, we dined before seven,
that makes the night long and I am not a very good sleeper; that is, I
cannot go to sleep till late in the night."

"I envy you," said Mr. Travers, speaking with a sort of drowsy apathy.
"I am always dropping off and the awakenings are horrible."

D'Alcacer, raising his eyes, noticed that Mrs. Travers and Lingard had
vanished from the light. They had gone to the rail where d'Alcacer
could not see them. Some pity mingled with his vexation at Mr. Travers'
snatchy wakefulness. There was something weird about the man, he
reflected. "Jorgenson," he began aloud.

"What's that?" snapped Mr. Travers.

"It's the name of that lanky old store-keeper who is always about the
decks."

"I haven't seen him. I don't see anybody. I don't know anybody. I prefer
not to notice."

"I was only going to say that he gave me a pack of cards; would you like
a game of piquet?"

"I don't think I could keep my eyes open," said Mr. Travers in an
unexpectedly confidential tone. "Isn't it funny, d'Alcacer? And then I
wake up. It's too awful."

D'Alcacer made no remark and Mr. Travers seemed not to have expected
any.

"When I said my wife was mad," he began, suddenly, causing d'Alcacer
to start, "I didn't mean it literally, of course." His tone sounded
slightly dogmatic and he didn't seem to be aware of any interval during
which he had appeared to sleep. D'Alcacer was convinced more than ever
that he had been shamming, and resigned himself wearily to listen,
folding his arms across his chest. "What I meant, really," continued Mr.
Travers, "was that she is the victim of a craze. Society is subject to
crazes, as you know very well. They are not reprehensible in themselves,
but the worst of my wife is that her crazes are never like those of the
people with whom she naturally associates. They generally run counter to
them. This peculiarity has given me some anxiety, you understand, in the
position we occupy. People will begin to say that she is eccentric. Do
you see her anywhere, d'Alcacer?"

D'Alcacer was thankful to be able to say that he didn't see Mrs.
Travers. He didn't even hear any murmurs, though he had no doubt that
everybody on board the Emma was wide awa