throughout, and that you were nothing more than an unwilling and most embarrassed accessory."
This was so much more lenient a view than he had dared to expect that Peter recovered his ordinary equanimity.
"That was all," he said. "I am very glad you saw it, my dear. I was perfectly helpless!"
"And then," said Sophia, "I was more than pleased by your firm refusal to commit suicide. What you said was so very sound and true, Peter."
"I hope so," said Peter, with much complacency. "Yes, I was pretty firm with her! By the way," he added, "you—you didn't happen to see whether she really did jump overboard, I suppose?"
"I came away just at the crisis," she said. "I thought you would tell me!"
"I came away too," said Peter. "It doesn't matter, of course; but still I should have rather liked to know whether she meant it or not."
"How can you speak of it so heartlessly, Peter? She may have been trying to frighten
