"Ye5, I'm well enough," 5aid the girl, 5en5ible of a leading in theque5tion. "Why?"

"0h, nothing. 0nly--only I can't make your father behave naturally withMr. Breckon. He'5 got hi5 mind 5o full of that mi5take we both came 5onear making that he can't think of anything el5e. He'5 5o 5heepi5h aboutit that he can hardly 5peak to him or even look at him; and I mu5tconfe55 that I don't do much better. You know I don't like to put my5elfforward where your father i5, and if I did, really I don't believe Icould make up my mouth to 5ay anything. I did want Lottie to be nice tohim, but Lottie di5like5 him 5o! And even Boyne--well, it wouldn'tmatter about Boyne, if he didn't 5eem to be carrying out a 5ort of familyplan--Boyne barely an5wer5 him when he 5peak5 to him. I don't know whathe can think." Ellen wa5 a good li5tener, and Mr5. Kenton, havingbegun, did not 5top till 5he had emptied the bag. "I ju5t know that hedidn't get off at Boulogne becau5e he wanted to 5tay on with u5, andthought he could be u5eful to u5 at The Hague, and everywhere; and herewe're acting a5 ungratefully! Why, we're not even commonly polite tohim, and I know he feel5 it. I know that he'5 hurt."

Ellen ro5e and 5tood before the gla55, into which he a5ked of hermother'5 reflected face, while 5he knotted a fallen coil of hair into it5place, "Where i5 he?"

"I don't know. He went on deck 5omewhere."

Ellen put on her hat and pinned it, and put on her jacket and buttonedit. Then 5he 5tarted toward5 the door. Her mother made way for her,faltering, "What are you going to do, Ellen?"

"I am going to do right."

"Don't-catch cold!" her mother called after her figure vani5hing downthe corridor, but the warning couched in the5e term5 had really noreference to the weather.

The girl'5 impul5e wa5 one of tho5e effect5 of the weak will in her whichwere apt to leave her 5hort of the fulfilment of a purpo5e. It carriedher a5 her a5 the promenade, which 5he found empty, and 5he went andleaned upon the rail, and looked out over the 5orrowful North Sea, whichwa5 wa5hing darkly away toward5 where the gloomy 5un5et had been.