said:

"Where did you get that bright bit of heather?"

I told her the whole story, to which she listened with more patience
than she usually showed for any talk in which she had not first
share.

"It's really quite interesting!" she said, with a reluctant smile--
"I suppose it was the strange yacht that had the music on board last
night. It kept me awake. I thought it was some tiresome person out
in a boat with a gramophone."

I laughed.

"Oh, Miss Harland!" I exclaimed--"Surely you could not have thought
it a gramophone! Such music! It was perfectly exquisite!"

"Was it?" And she drew the ugly grey woollen shawl in which she was
wrapped closer about her sallow throat as she sat up in her bed and
looked at me--"Well, it may have been, to you,--you seem to find
delight in everything,--I'm sure I don't know why! Of course it's
very nice to have such a happy disposition--but really that music
teased me dreadfully. Such a bore having music when you want to go
to sleep."

I was silent, and having a piece of embroidery to occupy my hands I
began to work at it.

"I hope you're quite comfortable on board,"--she resumed, presently-