Here she winked broadly at Beatrice, who started and colored.

“I don’t want to keep him back,” she said, in a broad whisper to the young lady, who was helping her to alight on the steps.  “He’s over head and ears, and I thought we would give them their chance.  You stay close to me, lovey.  What a fine strong arm you have!  There!  Alice hasn’t a bit of gumption—­as if Matty wanted Alice to walk with her!  Alice, come back and help your mother.  I’m quite giddy from the motion of the water.  Come back, child, I say!”

But it was not Alice who turned.  Captain Bertram, with the most gracious gallantry, proffered his arm to the fat old lady, and while he helped her to the house looked again and again at Beatrice.

CHAPTER XIV.

AT HER GATES.

Mr. Bell was as thin as his wife was fat, and as quiet and unassuming as she was bumptious and talkative.  On the occasion of this memorable supper he very nearly drove his better half into fits by his utter want of observation.

“It’s that that worries me in Bell,” the good woman was often heard to say.  “When a thing is as plain as the nose on his face he won’t see it.  And not all my hints will make him see it.  Hints!—­You might hint forever to Bell, and he wouldn’t know what you were driving at.”

These remarks Mrs. Bell had made, times without number, concerning her spouse, but never had ehe more cause to give utterance to them than on the present occasion.  For just when the whole party were seated at supper, and she by the boldest manoeuvres had placed Captain Bertram next to herself by the coffee-tray, and had planted Matty at his other side, so that he was in a measure hemmed in, and if he did not talk to Matty had no one to fall back on but herself, who, of course, would quickly, using the metaphor of battledore and shuttlecock, toss him back to her daughter—­having arranged all this, what should Bell do but put his foot in it?

“Captain Bertram,” he called in his thin voice across the table, “I hope you enjoyed your row, and I’m proud to see you at my humble board.  But come up here, my good young sir; you’re quite smothered by the missis and the teacups.  We have fine room at this end, haven’t we, Beatrice?  You come away up here, Captain Bertram, where you’ll have room to use your elbows; the missis mustn’t keep you to herself altogether, that ain’t fair play.”

“Oh, we’re as comfortable as possible, Peter,” almost screamed Mrs. Bell.

But in vain.  The captain was too acute a person not to seize this opportunity.  He said a courteous word or two to Mrs. Bell, apologized for having already crowded her, smiled at Matty, and then with a light heart seated himself beside Beatrice.