I expected to feel my companion's hand
loosen itself on my arm, as an indication that now she must go to him,
and I was almost surprised she didn't drop me. We stopped as we met and
Jasper bade us a friendly good-morning. Of course the remark that we had
another lovely day was already indicated, and it led him to exclaim, in
the manner of one to whom criticism came easily, "Yes, but with this sort
of thing consider what one of the others would do!"
"One of the other ships?"
"We should be there now, or at any rate tomorrow."
"Well then I'm glad it isn't one of the others"--and I smiled at the
young lady on my arm. My words offered her a chance to say something
appreciative, and gave him one even more; but neither Jasper nor Grace
Mavis took advantage of the occasion. What they did do, I noticed, was
to look at each other rather fixedly an instant; after which she turned
her eyes silently to the sea. She made no movement and uttered no sound,
contriving to give me the sense that she had all at once become perfectly
passive, that she somehow declined responsibility. We remained standing
there with Jasper in front of us, and if the contact of her arm didn't
suggest I should give her up, neither did it intimate that we had better
pass on. I had no idea of giving her up, albeit one of the things I
seemed to read just then into Jasper's countenance was a fine implication
that she was his property.
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