re you
going up?'

I had risen from my place--I had not ordered supper. 'I'm going to take
a turn before going to bed.'

'Well then, you'll see!'

Outside the saloon I hesitated, for Mrs. Peck's admonition made me feel
for a moment that if I ascended to the deck I should have entered in a
manner into her little conspiracy. But the night was so warm and
splendid that I had been intending to smoke a cigar in the air before
going below, and I did not see why I should deprive myself of this
pleasure in order to seem not to mind Mrs. Peck. I went up and saw a few
figures sitting or moving about in the darkness. The ocean looked black
and small, as it is apt to do at night, and the long mass of the ship,
with its vague dim wings, seemed to take up a great part of it. There
were more stars than one saw on land and the heavens struck one more
than ever as larger than the earth. Grace Mavis and her companion were
not, so far as I perceived at first, among the few passengers who were
lingering late, and I was glad, because I hated to hear her talked about
in the manner of the gossips I had left at supper. I wished there had
been some way to prevent it, but I could think of no way but to
recommend her privately to change her habits. That would be a very
delicate business, and perhaps it would be better to begin with Jasper,
though that would be delicate too. At any rate one might let him know,
in a friendly spirit, to how much remark he exposed the young
lady--leaving this revelation to work its way upon him. Unfortunately I
could not altogether believe that the pair were unconscious of the
observation and the opinion of the passengers. They were not a boy and a
girl; they had a certain social perspective in their eye. I was not very
clear as to the details of that behaviour which had made them (according
to the version of my good friends in the saloon) a scandal to the ship,
for though I looked at them a good deal I evidently had not looked at
them so continuously and so hungrily as Mrs. Peck. Nevertheless the
probability was that they knew what was thought of them--what naturally
would be--and simply didn't care. That made Miss Mavis out rather
cynical and even a little immodest; and yet, somehow, if she had such
qualities I did not dislike her for them. I don't know what strange,
secret excuses I found for her. I presently indeed encountered a need
for them on the spot, for just as I was on the point of going below
again, a