She was
at once delighted and desolated. She wanted to outpour psalms of
gratitude, and also she wanted to curse.
Mr Cotterill said stiffly that he should repay--and that soon.
An immense bell sounded impatiently.
"We'd better be shunting," said Denry. "That's the second."
In exciting crises he sometimes employed such peculiar language as this.
And he was very excited. He had done a great deal of rushing about. The
upraising of the Cotterill family from the social Hades of the steerage
to the respectability of the second cabin had demanded all his energy,
and a lot of Ruth's.
Ruth kissed Mrs Cotterill and then Nellie. And Mrs Cotterill and Nellie
acquired rank and importance for the whole voyage by reason of being
kissed in public by a woman so elegant and aristocratic as Ruth
Capron-Smith.
And Denry shook hands. He looked brightly at the parents, but he could
not look at Nellie; nor could she look at him; their handshaking was
perfunctory. For months their playful intimacy had been in abeyance.
"Good-bye."
"Good luck."
"Thanks. Good-bye."
"Good-bye."
The horrible bell continued to insist.
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