The shocking lack of
chaperonage and the liberty allowed young girls in the States served
as themes for more than one bitter letter home.
But his cold aloofness was not destined to last. One morning when most
of the passengers were concerned with the appearance of Bird Island on
the horizon, he stumbled quite by accident upon Bobby curled up behind a
wind-shelter on the other side of the deck, contributing some large salt
tears to the brine of the ocean. Now, in that circle of society in which
it had pleased Providence to place Percival it was considered the height
of bad form to exhibit an emotion. His imagination could not picture one
of the ladies of Hascombe Hall sitting in a public place with her hair
tumbled over her face, and her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Nevertheless, the sight of this hitherto buoyant young creature in
distress moved him to sit down beside her, and in the softly modulated
tones upon which we have already commented coax her to tell him what was
the matter.
Unlike the historic Miss Muffet who repulsed a similar attention from
the spider, she welcomed his arrival. She even asked him if he had an
extra handkerchief, her own having been reduced to a wet little ball.
He had. He not only proffered it, but helped to wipe away the tears.
[Illustration: "I don't know what makes me so everlastingly silly!"
she said fiercely trying to swallow the rising sobs, "but he won't
understand!"]
"I don't know what makes me so everlastingly silly," she said fiercely,
trying to swallow the rising sobs, "but he _won't_ understand!"
"Who won't?"
"The captain.
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