'

I listened respectfully to this and then I said: 'You are afraid of your
son.'

'Afraid of him?'

'There are things you might say to him--and with your manner; because
you have one when you choose.'

'Very likely, but what is my manner to his? Besides, I have said
everything to him. That is I have said the great thing, that he is
making her immensely talked about.'

'And of course in answer to that he has asked you how you know, and you
have told him I have told you.'

'I had to; and he says it's none of your business.'

'I wish he would say that to my face.'

'He'll do so perfectly, if you give him a chance. That's where you can
help me. Quarrel with him--he's rather good at a quarrel, and that will
divert him and draw him off.'

'Then I'm ready to discuss the matter with him for the rest of the
voyage.'

'Very well; I count on you. But he'll ask you, as he asks me, what the
deuce you want him to do.'

'To go to bed,' I replied, laughing.

'Oh, it isn't a joke.'

'That's exactly what I told you at first.'

'Yes, but don't exult; I hate people who exult. Jasper wants to know why
he should mind her being talked about if she doesn't mind it herself.'

'I'll tell him why,' I replied; and Mrs. Nettlepoint said she should be
exceedingly obliged to me and repeated that she would come upstairs.

I looked for Jasper above that same evening, but circumstances did not
favour my quest. I found him--that is I discovered that he was again
ensconced behind the lifeboat with Miss Mavis; but there was a needless
violence in breaking into their communion, and I put off our interview
till the next day. Then I took the first opportunity, at breakfast, to
make sure of it. He was in the saloon when I went in and was preparing
to leave the table; but I stopped him and asked if he would give me a
quarter of an hour on deck a little later--there was something
particular I wanted to say to him. He said, 'Oh yes, if you like,' with
just a visible surprise, but no look of an uncomfortable consciousness.
When I had finished my breakfast I found him smoking on the forward-deck
and I immediately began: 'I am going to say something that you won't at
all like; to ask you a question that you will think impertinent.'

'Impertinent? that's bad.'

'I am a good deal older than you and I am a friend--of many years--of
your mother. There's nothing I like less than to be meddlesome, but I
think these things give me a certain right--