“Hoots-toots, child, I’ll do well enough.  Jane will look after me, and that nice little friend of yours, Catherine, will come and cheer me up now and then.  I shall have lots to do, too, this autumn, for I’m going to have all the chintzes recalendered, and the carpets taken up and darned in the weak places, and there are some sheets to be cut down the middle and sewn up again.  I won’t have breathing-time, let alone half-hours for fretting.  So the thought of the old mother needn’t trouble you, my dearie dear.  And the captain has promised to bring you back as soon as ever he can get fresh leave, so I can look forward to that, if I have a minute of time to look forward at all.”

Beatrice smiled and kissed her mother.

“I don’t think any one ever had a dearer mother than you are,” she said, “or a more unselfish one.”

“Oh, now, my pet,” replied the crafty old lady, “you know you’d change me for Mrs. Bertram any day; she’s so stylish, Bee, and so—­so genteel, darling.  You know I never did aim at being genteel.  I always acknowledged that I was a step below your father and you.”

“Hush!  You were a step below no one.  You stand on a pinnacle which no other mother can reach, as far as I am concerned.  Compare you with Mrs. Bertram indeed!”

Here Beatrice tried to look scornful.  The expression was so foreign to her face that her mother absolutely laughed and chuckled.  Of course, she had meant Bee to say the kind of thing she had said; it was balm to the old lady to hear such words from her beautiful child.

Up at the Manor now everything went smoothly.  Mrs. Bertram was in perfect health, and perfect spirits.  The bustle of a coming wedding excited and pleased the girls.  There was that fuss about the place which generally precedes an event of rejoicing.  Such fuss was delicious to Catherine and Mabel.  Captain Bertram not only looked perfectly happy, but all his best qualities appeared now on the surface.  New springs of feeling, depths hitherto untouched, had been awakened by Beatrice.  She had a power over this young man; she could arouse all the latent nobility which he possessed.  He thought he was very much in love with her; he certainly did care for her, but more as his guardian-angel than with the passionate love he might offer to a wife.  He made all sorts of good resolves when he was with Beatrice, and these resolves grew into his face, and made it look pleasant, and touched it with a light never before seen there, and strengthened it with a touch which banished for a time the evil lines of irresolution and weakness.

Captain Bertram had made up his mind—­he had been rarely blessed—­he was unworthy, but a treasure of good price had been vouchsafed to him.  He would live worthy of her.  He would cast away the useless life of the past; he would cease to be extravagant—­his debts should be wiped off and never incurred again.  He would be honorable, true—­a gentleman in every sense of the word—­the girl who was lowly born, but whose heart was so patrician, and whose spirit was so loyal, should guide him in all things.