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〃'Mine' indeed！ She hasn't been near me since we left the dock。〃
〃There you areyou do feel she owes you something。 Well；〃 I added；
〃she's very curious。〃
〃You've such cold…blooded terms！〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint wailed。 〃Elle ne
sait pas se conduire； she ought to have come to ask about me。〃
〃Yes； since you're under her care；〃 I laughed。 〃As for her not
knowing how to behavewell； that's exactly what we shall see。〃
〃You will； but not I！ I wash my hands of her。〃
〃Don't say thatdon't say that。〃
Mrs。 Nettlepoint looked at me a moment。 〃Why do you speak so
solemnly？〃
In return I considered her。 〃I'll tell you before we land。 And have
you seen much of your son？〃
〃Oh yes； he has come in several times。 He seems very much pleased。
He has got a cabin to himself。〃
〃That's great luck；〃 I said； 〃but I've an idea he's always in luck。
I was sure I should have to offer him the second berth in my room。〃
〃And you wouldn't have enjoyed that； because you don't like him；〃 she
took upon herself to say。
〃What put that into your head？〃
〃It isn't in my headit's in my heart； my coeur de mere。 We guess
those things。 You think he's selfish。 I could see it last night。〃
〃Dear lady；〃 I contrived promptly enough to reply； 〃I've no general
ideas about him at all。 He's just one of the phenomena I am going to
observe。 He seems to me a very fine young man。 However；〃 I added；
〃since you've mentioned last night I'll admit that I thought he
rather tantalised you。 He played with your suspense。〃
〃Why he came at the last just to please me；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint。
I was silent a little。 〃Are you sure it was for your sake？〃
〃Ah； perhaps it was for yours！〃
I bore up； however； against this thrust； characteristic of perfidious
woman when you presume to side with her against a fond tormentor。
〃When he went out on the balcony with that girl；〃 I found assurance
to suggest； 〃perhaps she asked him to come for HERS。〃
〃Perhaps she did。 But why should he do everything she asks himsuch
as she is？〃
〃I don't know yet； but perhaps I shall know later。 Not that he'll
tell mefor he'll never tell me anything： he's not；〃 I consistently
opined； 〃one of those who tell。〃
〃If she didn't ask him； what you say is a great wrong to her；〃 said
Mrs。 Nettlepoint。
〃Yes； if she didn't。 But you say that to protect Jaspernot to
protect her；〃 I smiled。
〃You ARE cold…bloodedit's uncanny！〃 my friend exclaimed。
〃Ah this is nothing yet！ Wait a whileyou'll see。 At sea in
general I'm awfulI exceed the limits。 If I've outraged her in
thought I'll jump overboard。 There are ways of askinga man doesn't
need to tell a woman thatwithout the crude words。〃
〃I don't know what you imagine between them；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint。
〃Well； nothing；〃 I allowed； 〃but what was visible on the surface。 It
transpired； as the newspapers say； that they were old friends。〃
〃He met her at some promiscuous partyI asked him about it
afterwards。 She's not a person〃my hostess was confident〃whom he
could ever think of seriously。〃
〃That's exactly what I believe。〃
〃You don't observeyou knowyou imagine；〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint
continued to argue。 〃How do you reconcile her laying a trap for
Jasper with her going out to Liverpool on an errand of love？〃
Oh I wasn't to be caught that way！ 〃I don't for an instant suppose
she laid a trap； I believe she acted on the impulse of the moment。
She's going out to Liverpool on an errand of marriage； that's not
necessarily the same thing as an errand of love； especially for one
who happens to have had a personal impression of the gentleman she's
engaged to。〃
〃Well； there are certain decencies which in such a situation the most
abandoned of her sex would still observe。 You apparently judge her
capableon no evidenceof violating them。〃
〃Ah you don't understand the shades of things；〃 I returned。
〃Decencies and violations； dear ladythere's no need for such heavy
artillery！ I can perfectly imagine that without the least immodesty
she should have said to Jasper on the balcony； in fact if not in
words： 'I'm in dreadful spirits； but if you come I shall feel
better； and that will be pleasant for you too。'〃
〃And why is she in dreadful spirits？〃
〃She isn't！〃 I replied； laughing。
My poor friend wondered。 〃What then is she doing？〃
〃She's walking with your son。〃
Mrs。 Nettlepoint for a moment said nothing； then she treated me to
another inconsequence。 〃Ah she's horrid！〃
〃No； she's charming！〃 I protested。
〃You mean she's 'curious'？〃
〃Well； for me it's the same thing！〃
This led my friend of course to declare once more that I was cold…
blooded。 On the afternoon of the morrow we had another talk； and she
told me that in the morning Miss Mavis had paid her a long visit。
She knew nothing； poor creature； about anything； but her intentions
were good and she was evidently in her own eyes conscientious and
decorous。 And Mrs。 Nettlepoint concluded these remarks with the sigh
〃Unfortunate person！〃
〃You think she's a good deal to be pitied then？〃
〃Well； her story sounds drearyshe told me a good deal of it。 She
fell to talking little by little and went from one thing to another。
She's in that situation when a girl MUST open herselfto some
woman。〃
〃Hasn't she got Jasper？〃 I asked。
〃He isn't a woman。 You strike me as jealous of him；〃 my companion
added。
〃I daresay HE thinks soor will before the end。 Ah noah no！〃 And
I asked Mrs。 Nettlepoint if our young lady struck her as； very
grossly； a flirt。 She gave me no answer； but went on to remark that
she found it odd and interesting to see the way a girl like Grace
Mavis resembled the girls of the kind she herself knew better； the
girls of 〃society；〃 at the same time that she differed from them； and
the way the differences and resemblances were so mixed up that on
certain questions you couldn't tell where you'd find her。 You'd
think she'd feel as you did because you had found her feeling so； and
then suddenly； in regard to some other matterwhich was yet quite
the sameshe'd be utterly wanting。 Mrs。 Nettlepoint proceeded to
observeto such idle speculations does the vacancy of sea…hours give
encouragementthat she wondered whether it were better to be an
ordinary girl very well brought up or an extraordinary girl not
brought up at all。
〃Oh I go in for the extraordinary girl under all circumstances。〃
It's true that if you're VERY well brought up you're not； you can't
be； ordinary；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint； smelling her strong salts。
〃You're a lady； at any rate。〃
〃And Miss Mavis is fifty miles outis that what you mean？〃
〃Wellyou've seen her mother。〃
〃Yes； but I think your contention would be that among such people the
mother doesn't count。〃
〃Precisely； and that's bad。〃
〃I see what you mean。 But isn't it rather hard？