t right off they would just finish it up and be
married. It often happened that when things had dragged on that way for
years they were all huddled up at the end. Of course in such a case she,
Mrs. Mavis, had had to fly round. Her daughter's passage was taken, but
it seemed too dreadful she should make her journey all alone, the first
time she had ever been at sea, without any companion or escort. _She_
couldn't go--Mr. Mavis was too sick: she hadn't even been able to get him
off to the seaside.

"Well, Mrs. Nettlepoint's going in that ship," Mrs. Allen had said; and
she had represented that nothing was simpler than to give her the girl in
charge. When Mrs. Mavis had replied that this was all very well but that
she didn't know the lady, Mrs. Allen had declared that that didn't make a
speck of difference, for Mrs. Nettlepoint was kind enough for anything.
It was easy enough to _know_ her, if that was all the trouble! All Mrs.
Mavis would have to do would be to go right up to her next morning, when
she took her daughter to the ship (she would see her there on the deck
with her party) and tell her fair and square what she wanted. Mrs.
Nettlepoint had daughters herself and would easily understand. Very
likely she'd even look after Grace a little on the other side, in such a
queer situation, going out alone to the gentleman she was engaged to:
she'd just help her, like a good Samaritan, to turn round before she was
married. Mr. Porterfield seemed to think they wouldn't wait long, once
she was there: they would have it right over at the American consul's.
Mrs. Allen had said it would perhaps be better still to go and see Mrs.
Nettlepoint beforehand, that day, to tell her what they wanted: then they
wouldn't seem to spring it on her just as she was leaving. She herself
(Mrs. Allen) would call and say a word for them if she could save ten
minutes before catching her train. If she hadn't come it was because she
hadn't saved her ten minutes but she had made them feel that they must
come all the same. Mrs. Mavis liked that better, because on the ship in
the morning there would be such a confusion. She didn't think her
daughter would be any trouble--conscientiously she didn't. It was just
to have some one to speak to her and not sally forth like a servant-girl
going to a situation.

"I see, I'm to act as a sort of bridesmaid and to give her away," Mrs.
Nettlepoint obligingly said. Kind enough in fact for anything, sh