She was, however, mistaken in one respect, for Stirling usually was much more ready to plunge into a controversy than to back out of it.
"Well," he said reflectively, "the other man has earned his living handling sail and people, which is quite a different thing." Then he leaned toward her, with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Madam," he added, "wouldn't you better tell me exactly what you meant ?" Mrs.Kinnaird had a certain courage, and she was endeavoring to do her duty as she understood it.
"That packer," she said, "is rather a good-looking man, and girls of Ida's age are sometimes a trifle--impressionable." Then, somewhat to her astonishment, Stirling quietly agreed with her.
"Yes," he said, "that's so.

Seems to me it was intended that they should be.

It's part of the scheme." He made a little gesture.
"We'll let that point slide.

Anything strike you as being wrong with Weston ?" "No," said the somewhat startled lady, "the man is of course reliable, well-conducted, and attentive; but, after all, when one says that----" "When you said reliable you hit it.

It's a word that means a good deal; but couldn't you say a little more than well-conducted?
From something your daughter learned by chance, his relatives are people of position in the old country.