"What have I to gain then by saying it?"

"Oh men have always something to gain."

"You make me in that case feel a terrible failure! I hope at any rate
that it gives you pleasure," I went on, "the idea of seeing foreign
lands."

"Mercy--I should think so!"

This was almost genial, and it cheered me proportionately. "It's a pity
our ship's not one of the fast ones, if you're impatient."

She was silent a little after which she brought out: "Oh I guess it'll be
fast enough!"

That evening I went in to see Mrs. Nettlepoint and sat on her sea-trunk,
which was pulled out from under the berth to accommodate me. It was nine
o'clock but not quite dark, as our northward course had already taken us
into the latitude of the longer days. She had made her nest admirably
and now rested from her labours; she lay upon her sofa in a dressing-gown
and a cap that became her. It was her regular practice to spend the
voyage in her cabin, which smelt positively good--such was the refinement
of her art; and she had a secret peculiar to herself for keeping her port
open without shipping seas. She hated what she called the mess of the
ship and the idea, if she should go above, of meeting stewards with
plates of supererogatory food. She professed to be content with her
situation--we promised to lend each other books and I assured her
familiarly that I should be in and out of her room a dozen times a