"You have too much spare time," she declared. "And you know what that leads to?"
"Mr. Courage has not," Adèle interrupted. "He works really very hard indeed."
"Works!" Mrs. Van Reinberg repeated incredulously.
"At games!" Adèle declared. "He plays in cricket matches that last three days long. I saw him once at Lord's, and I can assure you that it looked like very hard work indeed."
Mrs. Van Reinberg turned away with a laugh, and settled herself down into the little nest of rugs which her maid had prepared.
"You young people can walk about, if you like," she said. "I am going to be comfortable. My cigarette case, Annette, and electric lamp. I shall read for half an hour."
She dismissed us all. Adèle and I moved away as though by common consent. Mr. de Valentin followed with the two other girls, though I had noticed that his first impulse had been to take possession of Adèle. She avoided the others skilfully, however, and we strolled off to the farther end of the ship.
"Your stepmother," I remarked, "seems to be a very amiable person!"
"She can be anything she likes," Adèle answered—"upon occasions."
We turned on to the weather side of the ship, which was almost deserted. Adèle glanced behind. Mr. de Valentin and the two girls were still within a few feet of us.