“The devil she is!” thought Payne. “Will the creature expect me to talk? Will she require me to look after her in the matter of pepper and salt? Why couldn't I have been left in peace?” He gathered up his possessions, and arose gravely with an automatic courtesy, and lifted eyes with a wooden expression to stare at the intruder. He faced the one person in the world whom it was most of pain and happiness to meet--the woman between whom and himself he meant to put a good half of the round world; and he read in her troubled gray eyes the confession that if there was anything or anybody from which she would willingly have been protected it was he--Chalmers Payne. Conscious of their neighbors, they bowed. Payne saw her comfortably seated. He sat down and slowly emptied his glass of ice-water. He preserved his wooden expression of countenance and turned towards her. “The old man on my right is deaf,” he said. “So am I,” she retorted. “Not so deaf, I hope, that you won't hear me explain that I had no more notion of your being on this ship than of Sappho being here!” “You refer to--the Greek Sappho, Mr. Payne?” “Assuredly. You told me--'fore Heaven, why are women so inconsistent?--you told me you were going anywhere rather than to America--that you were at the beginning of your journeyings--that you had an engagement with some Mahatmas on the top of the Himal--” “And you--you were going to South Africa.” “I said nothing of the sort. I--” “Well, I couldn't go about another day. No matter whether I was consistent or inconsistent! I was worn out and ill. I've been seeing too much--” “You told me you could never see enough!” “Well, never mind all that. I acted impulsively, I confess. My aunt was shocked. She thought I was ungrateful--particularly when I openly rejoiced that she was not able to find a chaperon for me.” “It's none of my business, anyway. I was stupid to show my surprise. I ought never to be surprised at anything you do, I know that. As for me, I'm tired of imitating the Wandering Jew. Besides, my father's old partner--mine he is now, I suppose, though I can't get used to that idea--wants me to come home. He says I'm needed. So I'm rolling up my sleeves, figuratively speaking. But I should certainly have delayed my journey if I had guessed you were to be on this boat.” “It's very annoying altogether,” she said, with open vexation. “It looks so silly! What will my aunt say?” “I don't think she'll say anything. You are on an Atlantic liner, with nine hundred and ninety-nine souls who are nothing to you, and one who is less than nothing. I believe that was the expression you used the other day--less than nothing?” The girl's delicate face flushed hotly.