She smiled comprehension at the official and bent over Sir John, now carefully polishing the back of his skull with a table napkin.
"I am sure you will forgive him," she whispered.

"I can't say why, but the poor fellow was looking so intently at me that he did not see what he was doing." The ex-Chief Justice was instantly mollified.

He did not mind the application of ice in that way--rather liked it, in fact--probably ice was susceptible to the fire in Miss Deane's eyes.
Lady Tozer was not so easily appeased.

When Iris left the saloon she inquired tartly: "How is it, John, that Government makes a shipowner a baronet and a Chief Justice only a knight ?" "That question would provide an interesting subject for debate at the Carlton, my dear," he replied with equal asperity.
Suddenly the passengers still seated experienced a prolonged sinking sensation, as if the vessel had been converted into a gigantic lift.
They were pressed hard into their chairs, which creaked and tried to swing round on their pivots.

As the ship yielded stiffly to the sea a whiff of spray dashed through an open port.
"There," snapped her ladyship, "I knew we should run into a storm, yet Captain Ross led us to believe---- John, take me to my cabin at once." From the promenade deck the listless groups watched the rapid advance of the gale.