not wish to be with the Rasmiths, but he found it uncomfortable not being with them, under the circumstances, and he followed them ashore in tingling reveries of explanation and apology.  He had certainly meant to get off at Boulogne, and when he had suddenly and tardily made up his mind to keep on to Rotterdam, he had meant to tell them as soon as he had the labels on his baggage changed.  He had not meant to tell them why he had changed his mind, and he did not tell them now in these tingling reveries.  He did not own the reason in his secret thoughts, for it no longer seemed a reason; it no longer seemed a cause.  He knew what the Rasmiths would think; but he could easily make that right with his conscience, at least, by parting with the Kentons at Rotterdam, and leaving them to find their unconducted way to any point they chose beyond.  He separated himself uncomfortably from them when the tender had put off with her passengers and the ship had got under way again, and went to the smoking-room, while the judge returned to his book and Mrs. Kenton abandoned Lottie to her own devices, and took Boyne aside for her apparently fruitless inquiries.

They were not really so fruitless but that at the end of them she could go with due authority to look up her husband.  She gently took his book from him and shut it up.  “Now, Mr. Kenton,” she began, “if you don’t go right straight and find Mr. Breckon and talk with him, I—­I don’t know what I will do.  You must talk to him—­”

“About Ellen?” the judge frowned.

“No, certainly not.  Talk with him about anything that interests you.  Be pleasant to him.  Can’t you see that he’s going on to Rotterdam on our account?”

“Then I wish he wasn’t.  There’s no use in it.”

“No matter!  It’s polite in him, and I want you to show him that you appreciate it.”

“Now see here, Sarah,” said the judge, “if you want him shown that we appreciate his politeness why don’t you do it yourself?”

“I?  Because it would look as if you were afraid to.  It would look as if we meant something by it.”

“Well, I am afraid; and that’s just what I’m afraid of.  I declare, my heart comes into my mouth whenever I think what an escape we had.  I think of it whenever I look at him, and I couldn’t talk to him without having that in my mind all the time.  No, women can manage those things better.  If you believe he is going along on our account, so as to help us see Holland, and to keep us from getting into scrapes, you’re the one to make it up to him.  I don’t care what you say to show him our gratitude.  I reckon we will get into all sorts of trouble if we’re left to ourselves.  But if you think he’s stayed because he wants to be with Ellen, and—­”

“Oh, I don’t know what I think!  And that’s silly I can’t talk to him.  I’m afraid it’ll seem as if we wanted to flatter him, and goodness knows we don’t want to.  Or, yes, we do!  I’d give anything if it was true.  Rufus, do you suppose he did stay on her account?  My, oh, my!  If I could only think so!  Wouldn’t it be the best thing in the world for the poor child, and for all of us?  I never saw anybody that I liked so much.  But it’s too good to be true.”