..

Otherwise the bad weather proved annoying enough in several ways. To
begin with, Alison Landis herself was anything but a good sailor, and
even Miss Searle, though she missed no meals, didn't pretend to enjoy
the merciless hammering which the elements were administering to the
ship. Alison retired to her suite immediately after the first breakfast
and stuck religiously therein until the weather moderated, thus
affording Staff no chance to talk with her about the number of
immediately interesting things on his mind. While Miss Searle stayed
almost as steadily in her quarters, keeping out of harm's way and
reading, she told Staff when they met at meals. Mrs. Ilkington, of
course, disappeared as promptly as Mrs. Thataker. In consequence of all
of which, Staff found himself thrown back for companionship on Bangs,
who bored him to the point of extinction, Arkroyd, whom he didn't like,
and Iff, who kept rather out of the way, dividing his time between his
two passions and merely leering at the younger man, a leer of infinite
cunning and derision, when chance threw them together.

In despair of finding any good excuse for wasting his time, then, Mr.
Staff took unto himself pens, ink, paper and fortitude and--surprised
even himself by writing that fourth act and finishing his play.
Again--an ill wind!

And then, as if bent on proving its integral benevolence so far as
concerned Mr. Staff, the wind shifted and sighed and died--beginning the
operation toward sundown of the third day out from Queenstown. The
morning of the fourth day dawned clear and beautiful, with no wind worth
mentioning and only a moderate sea running--not enough to make much of
an impression on the Autocratic. So pretty nearly everybody made public
appearance at one time or another during the morning, and compared notes
about their historic sufferings, and quoted the stewardess who had been
heard to say that this was the worst westbound passage the boat had ever
made, and regained their complexions, and took notice of the incipient
flirtations and--well, settled down in the usual way to enjoy an ocean
voyage.

Staff, of course, was on deck betimes, with an eye eager for first sight
of Alison and another heedful of social entanglements which might
prevent him from being first and foremost to her side when she did
appear. But for all his watchfulness and care, Mrs. Ilkington
forestalled him and had Alison in convoy before Staff discovered her;
and then