with her.

It also flashed across me that Lord Southminster might have heard
through Higginson of our meeting with Mr. Marmaduke Ashurst at Florence,
and of my acquaintance with Harold Tillington at Schlangenbad and
Lungern. With a woman's instinct, I jumped at the fact that the
pea-green young man had taken passage by this boat, on purpose to baffle
both me and Harold.

Thinking it over, it seemed to me, too, that he might have various
possible points of view on the matter. He might desire, for example,
that Harold should marry me, under the impression that his marriage with
a penniless outsider would annoy his uncle; for the pea-green young man
doubtless thought that I was still to Mr. Ashurst just that dreadful
adventuress. If so, his obvious cue would be to promote a good
understanding between Harold and myself, in order to make us marry, so
that the urbane old gentlemen might then disinherit his favourite
nephew, and make a new will in Lord Southminster's interest. Or again,
the pea-green young man might, on the contrary, be aware that Mr.
Ashurst and I had got on admirably together when we met at Florence; in
which case his aim would naturally be to find out something that might
set the rich uncle against me. Yet once more, he might merely have heard
that I had drawn up Uncle Marmaduke's will at the office, and he might
desire to worm the contents of it out of me. Whichever was his design, I
resolved to be upon my guard in every word I said to him, and leave no
door open to any trickery either way. For of one thing I felt sure, that
the colourless young man had torn himself away from the mud-honey of
Piccadilly for this voyage to India only because he had heard there was
a chance of meeting me.

That was a politic move, whoever planned it--himself or Higginson; for a
week on board ship with a person or persons is the very best chance of
getting thrown in with them; whether they like it or lump it, they can't
easily avoid you.

It was while I was pondering these things in my mind, and resolving with
myself not to give myself away, that the young man with the pea-green
face lounged in and dropped into the next seat to me. He was dressed
(amongst other things) in a dinner jacket and a white tie; for myself, I
detest such fopperies on board ship; they seem to me out of place; they
conflict with the infinite possibilities of the situation. One stands
too near the realities of things. Evening dress and _mal-de-mer_