period to which we had caught their allusion, and didn't she really not
know her mother was bringing her to _his_ mother's, though she apparently
had thought it well not to betray knowledge? Such things were
symptomatic--though indeed one scarce knew of what--on the part of a
young lady betrothed to that curious cross-barred phantom of a Mr.
Porterfield. But I am bound to add that she gave me no further warrant
for wonder than was conveyed in her all tacitly and covertly encouraging
her mother to linger. Somehow I had a sense that _she_ was conscious of
the indecency of this. I got up myself to go, but Mrs. Nettlepoint
detained me after seeing that my movement wouldn't be taken as a hint,
and I felt she wished me not to leave my fellow visitors on her hands.
Jasper complained of the closeness of the room, said that it was not a
night to sit in a room--one ought to be out in the air, under the sky. He
denounced the windows that overlooked the water for not opening upon a
balcony or a terrace, until his mother, whom he hadn't yet satisfied
about his telegram, reminded him that there was a beautiful balcony in
front, with room for a dozen people. She assured him we would go and sit
there if it would please him.

"It will be nice and cool tomorrow, when we steam into the great ocean,"
said Miss Mavis, expressing with more vivacity than she had yet thrown
into any of her utterances my own thought of half an hour before. Mrs.
Nettlepoint replied that it would probably be freezing cold, and her son
murmured that he would go and try the drawing-room balcony and report
upon it. Just as he was turning away he said, smiling, to Miss Mavis:
"Won't you come with me and see if it's pleasant?"

"Oh well, we had better not stay all night!" her mother exclaimed, but
still without moving. The girl moved, after a moment's hesitation;--she
rose and accompanied Jasper to the other room. I saw how her slim