Arkroyd showed up and Mrs. Ilkington annexed him, and Bangs was
rounded up with one or two others and made to pay court to Mrs.
Ilkington's newly snared celebrity and ... Staff went away and sulked
like a spoiled child. Nor did his humour become more cheerful when at
lunch he discovered that Mrs. Ilkington had kept two seats at their
table reserved for Miss Landis and Arkroyd. It had been a prearranged
thing, of course; it had been Alison with whom Mrs. Ilkington had talked
about him in Paris; and evidently Alison had been esquired by Arkroyd
there. Staff didn't relish the flavour of that thought. What right had
Arkroyd to constitute himself Alison's cavalier on her travels? For
that matter, what right had Alison to accept him in such a capacity?...
Though, of course, Staff had to remind himself that Alison was in
reality not bound in any way....

But he had his reward and revenge after lunch. As the party left the
table Alison dropped behind to speak to him; and in interchange of
commonplaces they allowed the others to distance them beyond earshot.

"You're a dear," the young woman told him in a discreet tone as they
ascended the companionway.

"I'm bound to say," he told her with a faint, expiring flicker of
resentment, "that you hardly treat me like one."

Her eyes held his with their smiling challenge, half provocative, half
tender; and she pouted a little, prettily. In this mood she was always
quite irresistible to Staff. Almost against his will his dignity and his
pose of the injured person evaporated and became as if they had never
been.

"Just the same," she declared, laughing, "you are a dear--if you _don't_
deserve to be told so."

"What have I done?" he demanded guiltily--knowing very well on what
counts he was liable to indictment.

"Oh, nothing," said Alison--"nothing whatever. You've only been haughty
and aloof and icy and indifferent and everything else that men seem to
consider becoming to them when they think they're neglected."

"You certainly don't expect me to _like_ seeing Arkroyd at your side all
the time?"

"Oh!" she laughed contemptuously--"Arkroyd!" And she dismissed that
gentleman with a fine sweeping gesture. "Can I help it if he happens to
travel on the same ship?"

They halted at the top of the steps.

"Then it was accidental--?" he asked seriously.

"Staff!" The young woman made an impatient movement. "If I didn't like
you--_you_ know how much--upon my word I'd snub you for