Gertrude had of late grown more like herself, but was quite resolute against the Dangerfield alliance, which Aunt Becky fought for, the more desperately that in their private confidences under the poplar trees she had given the rich cynic of the silver spectacles good assurance of success.

Puddock drank tea at Belmont—­nectar in Olympus—­that evening.  Was ever lieutenant so devoutly romantic?  He had grown more fanatical and abject in his worship.  He spoke less, and lisped in very low tones.  He sighed often, and sometimes mightily; and ogled unhappily, and smiled lackadaisically.  The beautiful damsel was, in her high, cold way, kind to the guest, and employed him about the room on little commissions, and listened to his speeches without hearing them, and rewarded them now and then with the gleam of a smile, which made his gallant little heart flutter up to his solitaire, and his honest powdered head giddy.

‘I marvel, brother,’ ejaculated Aunt Becky, suddenly, appearing in the parlour, where the general had made himself comfortable over his novel, and opening her address with a smart stamp on the floor.  The veteran’s heart made a little jump, and he looked up over his gold spectacles.

’I marvel, brother, what you can mean, desire, or intend, by all this ogling, sighing, and love-making; ’tis surely a strange way of forwarding Mr. Dangerfield’s affair.’

He might have blustered a little, as he sometimes did, for she had startled him, and her manner was irritating; but she had caught him in a sentimental passage between Lovelace and Miss Harlowe, which always moved him—­and he showed no fight at all; but his innocent little light blue eyes looked up wonderingly and quite gently at her.

‘Who—­I? What ogling, Sister Becky?’

’You! tut!  That foolish, ungrateful person, Lieutenant Puddock; what can you propose to yourself, brother, in bringing Lieutenant Puddock here?  I hate him.’

‘Why, what about Puddock—­what has he done?’ asked the general, with round eyes still, and closing his book on his finger.

‘What has he done!  Why, he’s at your daughter’s feet,’ cried Aunt Becky, with scarlet cheeks, and flashing eyes; ’and she—­artful gipsy, has brought him there by positively making love to him.’

’Sweet upon Toodie (the general’s old pet name for Gertrude); why, half the young fellows are—­you know—­pooh, pooh,’ and the general stood up with his back to the fire—­looking uneasy; for, like many other men, he thought a woman’s eyes saw further in such a case than his.

’Do you wish the young hussy—­do you—­to marry Lieutenant Puddock?  I should not wonder!  Why, of course, her fortune you and she may give away to whom you like; but remember, she’s young, and has been much admired, brother; and may make a great match; and in our day, young ladies were under direction, and did not marry without apprising their parents or natural guardians.  Here’s Mr.