第6章

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.Isaw how her slim tallness showed to advantage as she walked, and that she looked well as she passed, with her head thrown back, into the darkness of the other part of the house.There was something rather marked, rather surprising--I scarcely knew why, for the act in itself was simple enough--in her acceptance of such a plea, and perhaps it was our sense of this that held the rest of us somewhat stiffly silent as she remained away.I was waiting for Mrs.Mavis to go, so that I myself might go; and Mrs.Nettlepoint was waiting for her to go so that I mightn't.This doubtless made the young lady's absence appear to us longer than it really was--it was probably very brief.

Her mother moreover, I think, had now a vague lapse from ease.

Jasper Nettlepoint presently returned to the back drawing-room to serve his companion with our lucent syrup, and he took occasion to remark that it was lovely on the balcony: one really got some air, the breeze being from that quarter.I remembered, as he went away with his tinkling tumbler, that from MY hand, a few minutes before, Miss Mavis had not been willing to accept this innocent offering.Alittle later Mrs.Nettlepoint said: "Well, if it's so pleasant there we had better go ourselves." So we passed to the front and in the other room met the two young people coming in from the balcony.Iwas to wonder, in the light of later things, exactly how long they had occupied together a couple of the set of cane chairs garnishing the place in summer.If it had been but five minutes that only made subsequent events more curious."We must go, mother," Miss Mavis immediately said; and a moment after, with a little renewal of chatter as to our general meeting on the ship, the visitors had taken leave.Jasper went down with them to the door and as soon as they had got off Mrs.Nettlepoint quite richly exhaled her impression.

"Ah but'll she be a bore--she'll be a bore of bores!""Not through talking too much, surely."

"An affectation of silence is as bad.I hate that particular pose;it's coming up very much now; an imitation of the English, like everything else.A girl who tries to be statuesque at sea--that will act on one's nerves!""I don't know what she tries to be, but she succeeds in being very handsome.""So much the better for you.I'll leave her to you, for I shall be shut up.I like her being placed under my 'care'!" my friend cried.

"She'll be under Jasper's," I remarked.

"Ah he won't go," she wailed--"I want it too much!""But I didn't see it that way.I have an idea he'll go.""Why didn't he tell me so then--when he came in?""He was diverted by that young woman--a beautiful unexpected girl sitting there.""Diverted from his mother and her fond hope?--his mother trembling for his decision?""Well"--I pieced it together--"she's an old friend, older than we know.It was a meeting after a long separation.""Yes, such a lot of them as he does know!" Mrs.Nettlepoint sighed.

"Such a lot of them?"

"He has so many female friends--in the most varied circles.""Well, we can close round her then," I returned; "for I on my side know, or used to know, her young man.""Her intended?"--she had a light of relief for this.

"The very one she's going out to.He can't, by the way," it occurred to me, "be very young now.""How odd it sounds--her muddling after him!" said Mrs.Nettlepoint.

I was going to reply that it wasn't odd if you knew Mr.Porterfield, but I reflected that that perhaps only made it odder.I told my companion briefly who he was--that I had met him in the old Paris days, when I believed for a fleeting hour that I could learn to paint, when I lived with the jeunesse des ecoles; and her comment on this was simply: "Well, he had better have come out for her!""Perhaps so.She looked to me as she sat there as if, she might change her mind at the last moment.""About her marriage?

"About sailing.But she won't change now."Jasper came back, and his mother instantly challenged him."Well, ARE you going?""Yes, I shall go"--he was finally at peace about it."I've got my telegram.""Oh your telegram!"--I ventured a little to jeer.

"That charming girl's your telegram."

He gave me a look, but in the dusk I couldn't make out very well what it conveyed.Then he bent over his mother, kissing her."My news isn't particularly satisfactory.I'm going for YOU.""Oh you humbug!" she replied.But she was of course delighted.