Thatwastheendofme，fromasocietypointofview。Rudenesstovisitorswastheunpardonablesin，andintwosecondsI
hadmymarchingorders，andwassullenlywendingmywaytotheSt。Elelenaofthenursery。AsIclimbedthestair，mythoughtsrevertedsomehowtoagamewehadbeenplayingthatverymorning。
ItwasthegoodoldgameofRafts，——agamethatwillbeplayedtillalltheoceansaredryandallthetreesintheworldarefelled——andafter。Andwewereallcrowdedtogetherontheprecariouslittleplatform，andSelinaoccupiedeverybitasmuchroomasIdid，andCharlotte’slegsdidn’tdangleoveranymorethanHarold’s。Thepitilesssunoverheadbeatonusallwithtropicimpartiality，andthehungrysharks，whosefinsscoredthelimitlessPacificstretchingoutoneveryside，wereimpelledbyanappetitethatmadenoexceptionsastosex。Whenwesharedtheultimatebiscuitandcirculatedthelastwater-keg，thegirlsgotanabsolutefourthapiece，andneithermorenorless;andtheonlypartialityshownwasentirelyinfavourofCharlotte，whowasallowedtoperceiveandtohailthesaviour-
sailonthehorizon。Andthiswasonlybecauseitwasherturntodoso，notbecauseshehappenedtobethisorthat。Surely，therulesoftheraftweretherulesoflife，andinwhat，then，didthesevisitor-ladies’grievanceconsist？
Puzzledandalittlesulky，Ipushedopenthedoorofthedesertednursery，wheretheraftthathadrockedbeneathsomanyhopesandfearsstilloccupiedtheocean-floor。Tothedulleye，thatmerelytarriesupontheoutsidesofthings，itmighthaveappearedunromanticandevenunraftlike，consistingonlyasitdidofaroundsponge-bathonabalddealtowel-horseplacedflatonthefloor。Eventomyselfmuchoftherecentraft-glamourseemedtohavedepartedasIhalf-mechanicallysteppedinsideandcurledmyselfupinitforasolitaryvoyage。OnceIwasin，however，theoldmagicandmysteryreturnedinfullflood，whenIdiscoveredthattheinequalitiesofthetowel-horsecausedthebathtorock，slightly，indeed，buteasilyandincessantly。