I wished there had been some way to
prevent it, but I could think of none but to recommend her privately to
reconsider her rule of discretion. 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 couldn't
altogether believe that the pair were unconscious of the observation and
the opinion of the passengers. They weren't boy and girl; they had a
certain social perspective in their eye. I was meanwhile at any rate in
no possession of 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 had taken due note of them, as will
already have been gathered, I had taken really no such ferocious, or at
least such competent, note 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 our heroine out rather perverse and even
rather shameless; and yet somehow if these were her leanings I didn't
dislike her for them. I don't know what strange secret excuses I found
for her.
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