"
"I've had to tell him; and he says it's none of your business."
"I wish he'd say that," I remarked, "to my face."
"He'll do so perfectly if you give him a chance. That's where you can
help me. Quarrel with him--he's rather good at a quarrel; and that will
divert him and draw him off."
"Then I'm ready," I returned, "to discuss the matter with him for the
rest of the voyage."
"Very well; I count on you. But he'll ask you, as he asks me, what the
deuce you want him to do."
"To go to bed!"--and I'm afraid I laughed.
"Oh it isn't a joke."
I didn't want to be irritating, but I made my point. "That's exactly
what I told you at first."
"Yes, but don't exult; I hate people who exult. Jasper asks of me," she
went on, "why he should mind her being talked about if she doesn't mind
it herself."
"I'll tell him why," I replied; and Mrs. Nettlepoint said she should be
exceedingly obliged to me and repeated that she would indeed take the
field.
I looked for Jasper above that same evening, but circumstances didn't
favour my quest. I found him--that is I gathered he was again ensconced
behind the lifeboat with Miss Mavis; but there was a needless violence in
breaking into their communion, and I put off our interview till the next
day. Then I took the first opportunity, at breakfast, to make sure of
it.
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