with his shipmate all the time, but it was not easy to account for Aurora.  Certainly he had been very fond of her:  he was fond of her still, and could not bring himself to regret having known her.  He strove resolutely to refrain from applying conventional standards of judgment, with which, he assured himself, he had no sympathy, but little uneasinesses and awkward moments would obtrude.  It was difficult to maintain the fine idea of rationalism.  ’I won’t have you bind the strange man you may be to-morrow with oaths,’ Aurora had said; yet it was evident the change in him was a source of great distress to her.

‘I haven’t seen you for a fortnight, Jim,’ she said one evening, with a tinge of reproach that she was striving to repress.

‘No,’ he said shortly.

‘And absence hasn’t made you particularly fond.’

He was leaning on the counter, and took her hand between his own, but was silent.

‘At least, you don’t lie to me,’ she continued.

Jim did not plume himself on that; he knew in his heart that if he had not lied it was because a thoroughly satisfactory fiction had not presented itself.  He kissed her knuckles, which, in itself was a lie of inference.  Aurora pulled her hand away, and robbed him of his one resource.  He felt abashed and defenceless without it.  He thrust his hands in his pockets, and turned his shoulders to her, gazing moodily on the floor, having a dawning sense of the differences that may suddenly afflict two hearts that have beat as one, realizing that the ardent affection of yesterday and yesterday’s kisses count for nothing in the present estrangement.  He could, not essay the role of friendship:  it was as if they were strangers without a single affinity.

‘The fact is, Aurora,’ he said desperately, ’I’m a good deal changed.  I’ve experienced a great shock lately, and it has pulled me up short.’

‘And the woman?’

He turned upon her again with genuine surprise.  ‘The woman!  The woman!’ he cried.  ’It has nothing to do with a woman.  Upon my soul, no!  Something has been revealed to me that has hit me hard.  I don’t get over it easily; it clings in my mind.  If I could tell you, old girl, you’d sympathize; but I can’t—­the secret is not my own.’  He spoke with emotion, and Aurora, watching him sharply, was touched.  She put a hand on his arm.

‘Not another word, Jimmy,’ she said.  ‘I won’t bother you.  Sure,’ she continued lightly, we weemin ’re niver contint wid the throubles of the day.  We’re that curious we must be wonderin’ how much more’s comin’.  We may boast iv bein’ sensible an’ sthrong, but we’re alwiz pushin’ our tentacles out to feel the sorrow iv to-morrow.  I reckoned you’d be hatin’ me in a week, ma bouchal.’

Done felt himself justified in kissing her there and then, but the kiss partook a good deal of the nature of a benediction.