brightly:

'Oh yes, it is, is it not?'

Jim now resented the woman's intrusion upon him with a cublike
sullenness. He even longed to be avenged upon her for his uneasiness, and
would have liked to have said quite coolly, 'In the devil's name, madam,
leave me to myself!' It piqued him that, after all, he had not the moral
courage to do this, so he turned a forbidding shoulder, pretending
interest in the scud of sea.

'Really, Mr. Done, you are foolish to hide yourself here,' continued Mrs.
Macdougal. 'It is so much pleasanter in our part, and you have the
freedom of the ship, you know. Dear, kind Captain Evan could not deny me.
Do come! Our little entertainments will delight you, and everybody will
be so pleased.'

'I'm very well where I am, thanks.' The lad's tone was not at all
gracious.

'But you are so much above these men, and there are several nice cabin
passengers--quite superior people, who are anxious to know you.'

'You're mistaken, ma'am. I'm a farm labourer going out there to earn my
living. I'm at home here with common men, and I hate superior people!'

'They are trying, are they not?' This with a gush of confidence and a
little air of being weary of the great ones of the earth.

Mrs. Macdougal made several further efforts to induce Done to allow