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Lottie returned from another direction with Boyne； and Ellen said；
〃Poppa's gone to look for you。〃
〃Has he？〃 asked Lottie； dropping decisively into her chair。 〃Well；
there's one thing； I won't call him poppa any more。〃
〃What will you call him？〃 Boyne demanded； demurely。
〃I'll call him father； it you want to know； and I'm going to call momma；
mother。 I'm not going to have those English laughing at us； and I won't
say papa and mamma。 Everybody that knows anything says father and mother
now。〃
Boyne kept looking from one sister to another during Lottie's
declaration； and； with his eyes on Ellen； he said； 〃It's true； Ellen。
All the Plumptons did。〃 He was very serious。
Ellen smiled。 〃I'm too old to change。 I'd rather seem queer in Europe
than when I get back to Tuskingum。〃
〃You wouldn't be queer there a great while；〃 said Lottie。 〃They'll all
be doing it in a week after I get home。〃
Upon the encouragement given him by Ellen； Boyne seized the chance of
being of the opposition。 〃Yes；〃 he taunted Lottie； 〃and you think
they'll say woman and man； for lady and gentleman； I suppose。〃
〃They will as soon as they know it's the thing。〃
〃Well； I know I won't；〃 said Boyne。 〃I won't call momma a woman。〃
〃It doesn't matter what you do； Boyne dear；〃 his sister serenely assured
him。
While he stood searching his mind for a suitable retort； a young man； not
apparently many years his senior； came round the corner of the music…
room； and put himself conspicuously in view at a distance from the
Kentons。
〃There he is； now；〃 said Boyne。 〃He wants to be introduced to Lottie。〃
He referred the question to Ellen； but Lottie answered for her。
〃Then why don't you introduce him？〃
〃Well； I would if he was an American。 But you can't tell about these
English。〃 He resumed the dignity he had lost in making the explanation
to Lottie； and ignored her in turning again to Ellen。 〃What do you
think； Ellen？〃
〃Oh； don't know about such things； Boyne；〃 she said； shrinking from the
responsibility。
〃Well； upon my word！〃 cried Lottie。 〃If Ellen can talk by the hour with
that precious Mr。 Breckon； and stay up here along with him； when
everybody else is down below sick； I don't think she can have a great
deal to say about a half…grown boy like that being introduced to me。〃
〃He's as old as you are；〃 said Boyne； hotly。
〃Oh！ I saw him associating with you； and I thought he was a boy； too。
Pardon me！〃 Lottie turned from giving Boyne his coup…de…grace； to plant
a little stab in Ellen's breast。 〃To be sure； now Mr。 Breckon has found
those friends of his； I suppose he won't want to flirt with Ellen any
more。〃
〃Ah； ha； ha！〃 Boyne broke in。 〃Lottie is mad because he stopped to
speak to some ladies he knew。 Women； I suppose she'd call them。〃
〃Well； I shouldn't call him a gentleman； anyway；〃 said Lottie。
The pretty； smooth…faced； fresh…faced young fellow whom their varying
debate had kept in abeyance； looked round at them over his shoulder as he
leaned on the rail； and seemed to discover Boyne for the first time。 He
came promptly towards the Kentons。
〃Now；〃 said Lottie； rapidly； 〃you'll just HAVE to。〃
The young fellow touched his cap to the whole group； but he ventured to
address only Boyne。
〃Every one seems to be about this morning；〃 he said； with the cheery
English…rising infection。
〃Yes；〃 answered Boyne； with such snubbing coldness that Ellen's heart was
touched。
〃It's so pleasant；〃 she said； 〃after that dark weather。〃
〃Isn't it？〃 cried the young fellow； gratefully。 〃One doesn't often get
such sunshine as this at sea； you know。〃
〃My sister； Miss Kenton； Mr。 Pogis；〃 Boyne solemnly intervened。 〃And
Miss Lottie Kenton。〃
The pretty boy bowed to each in turn； but he made no pretence of being
there to talk with Ellen。 〃Have you been ill； too？〃 he actively
addressed himself to Lottie。
〃No； just mad；〃 she said。 〃I wasn't very sick； and that made it all the
worse being down in a poky state…room when I wanted to walk。〃
〃And I suppose you've been making up for lost time this morning？〃
〃Not half；〃 said Lottie。
〃Oh； do finish the half with me！〃
Lottie instantly rose； and flung her sister the wrap she had been holding
ready to shed from the moment the young man had come up。 〃Keep that for
me； Nell。 Are you good at catching？〃 she asked him。
〃Catching？〃
〃Yes！ People；〃 she explained； and at a sudden twist of the ship she made
a clutch at his shoulder。
〃Oh！ I think I can catch you。〃
As they moved off together； Boyne said； 〃Well； upon my word！〃 but Ellen
did not say anything in comment on Lottie。 After a while she asked； 〃Who
were the ladies that Mr。 Breckon met？〃
〃I didn't hear their names。 They were somebody he hadn't seen before
since the ship started。 They looked like a young lady and her mother。
It made Lottie mad when he stopped to speak with them； and she wouldn't
wait till he could get through。 Ran right away； and made me come； too。〃
XIII。
Breckon had not seen the former interest between himself and Ellen lapse
to commonplace acquaintance without due sense of loss。 He suffered
justly； but he did not suffer passively； or without several attempts to
regain the higher ground。 In spite of these he was aware of being
distinctly kept to the level which he accused himself of having chosen；
by a gentle acquiescence in his choice more fatal than snubbing。 The
advances that he made across the table； while he still met Miss Kenton
alone there； did not carry beyond the rack supporting her plate。 She
talked on whatever subject he started with that angelic sincerity which
now seemed so far from him； but she started none herself； she did not
appeal to him for his opinion upon any question more psychological than
the barometer； and；
〃In a tumultuous privacy of storm；〃
he found himself as much estranged from her as if a fair…weather crowd
had surrounded them。 He did not believe that she resented the levity he
had shown； but he had reason to fear that she had finally accepted it as
his normal mood； and in her efforts to meet him in it； as if he had no
other； he read a tolerance that was worse than contempt。 When he tried
to make her think differently； if that was what she thought of him； he
fancied her rising to the notion he wished to give her； and then
shrinking from it； as if it must bring her the disappointment of some
trivial joke。
It was what he had taught her to expect of him； and he had himself to
blame。 Now that he had thrown that precious chance away； he might well
have overvalued it。 She had certain provincialisms which he could not
ignore。 She did not know the right use of will and shall； and would and
should； and she pronounced the letter 'r' with a hard mid…Western twist。
Her voice was weak and thin； and she could not govern it from being at
times a gasp and at times a drawl。 She did not dress with the authority
of women who know more of their clothes than the people they buy them of；
she did not carry herself like a pretty girl； she had not the definite
stamp of young…ladyism。 Yet she was undoubtedly a lady in every
ins