He was in the saloon when I went in and was preparing to leave the
table; but I stopped him and asked if he would give me a quarter of an
hour on deck a little later--there was something particular I wanted to
say to him. He said "Oh yes, if you like"--with just a visible surprise,
but I thought with plenty of assurance. When I had finished my breakfast
I found him smoking on the forward-deck and I immediately began: "I'm
going to say something you won't at all like; to ask you a question
you'll probably denounce for impertinent."
"I certainly shall if I find it so," said Jasper Nettlepoint.
"Well, of course my warning has meant that I don't care if you do. I'm a
good deal older than you and I'm a friend--of many years--of your mother.
There's nothing I like less than to be meddlesome, but I think these
things give me a certain right--a sort of privilege. Besides which my
inquiry will speak for itself."
"Why so many damned preliminaries?" my young man asked through his smoke.
We looked into each other's eyes a moment. What indeed was his mother's
manner--her best manner--compared with his? "Are you prepared to be
responsible?"
"To you?"
"Dear no--to the young lady herself. I'm speaking of course of Miss
Mavis."
"Ah yes, my mother tells me you have her greatly on your mind.
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