swer to this advance, such as most men of
the world would have made, even at his age.

'I shall be very glad if we ever know each other better,' he said
after a short pause.

'So shall I.'

She leaned upon the rail and looked down at the eddying water. The
tide had turned and was beginning to go out. Griggs watched her
handsome profile in silence for a time.

'You have not many intimate friends, have you?' she asked presently.

'No, only one or two.'

She smiled.

'I'm not trying to get confidences from you. But really, that is very
vague. You must surely know whether you have only one, or whether
there is another. I'm not suggesting myself as a third, either!'

'Perhaps I'm over-cautious,' Griggs said. 'It does not matter. You
began by saying that you wished you knew me better. You meant that
if you did, you would either tell me something which you don't tell
everybody, or you would come to me for advice about something, or you
would ask me to do something for you. Is that it?'

'I suppose so.'

'It was not very hard to guess. I'll answer the three cases. If you
want to tell me a secret, don't. If you want advice without telling
everything about the case, it will be worthless. But if there is
anything I can do for you, I'll do it if I can, and I won't ask any
questions.'

'That's kind and sensible,' Margaret answered. 'And I should not be in
the least afraid to tell you anything. You would not repeat it.'

'No, certainly not. But some day, unless we became real friends, you
would think that I might, and then you would be very sorry.'

A short pause followed.

'We are moving,' Margaret said, glancing at the iron doors again.

'Yes, we are off.'

There was another pause. Then Margaret stood upright and turned her
face to her companion. She did not remember that she had ever looked
steadily into his eyes since she had known him.

They were grey and rather deeply set under grizzled eyebrows that
were growing thick and rough with advancing years, and they met hers
quietly. She knew at once that she could bear their scrutiny for any
length of time without blushing or feeling nervous, though there was
something in them that was stronger than she.

'It's this,' she said at last, as if she had been talking and had
reached a conclusion. 'I'm alone, and I'm a little frightened.'

'You?' Griggs smiled rather incredulously.

'Yes. Of course I'm used to travelling without any one and taking care
of myself.