" "I have heard sailors use words like that, but I never knew what they meant. “Hospital? What for? What’s the matter with me?” Courtlaw’s voice sank to a whisper. He turned back at once. Gwen—I saw Gwen the other day, and the paint’s thicker than ever. “Miss Pellissier,” he said, “don’t!” “Why not?” she asked, smiling. Vanity was a vice not just to be deprecated, but effectively strangled at birth. A broken laugh followed the action.