"
"Let me then express the hope that she will. But what will you answer?"
"My dear sir, it seems to me that in spite of all the titles you've
enumerated you've no reason to expect I'll tell you." He turned away,
and I dedicated in perfect sincerity a deep sore sigh to the thought of
our young woman. At this, under the impression of it, he faced me again
and, looking at me from head to foot, demanded: "What is it you want me
to do?"
"I put it to your mother that you ought to go to bed."
"You had better do that yourself!" he replied.
This time he walked off, and I reflected rather dolefully that the only
clear result of my undertaking would probably have been to make it vivid
to him that she was in love with him. Mrs. Nettlepoint came up as she
had announced, but the day was half over: it was nearly three o'clock.
She was accompanied by her son, who established her on deck, arranged her
chair and her shawls, saw she was protected from sun and wind, and for an
hour was very properly attentive. While this went on Grace Mavis was not
visible, nor did she reappear during the whole afternoon. I hadn't
observed that she had as yet been absent from the deck for so long a
period. Jasper left his mother, but came back at intervals to see how
she got on, and when she asked where Miss Mavis might be answered that he
hadn't the least idea.
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