I hate tennis dresses. All girls should wear trains."

Beatrice raised her bright eyes to his face. Their open expression said
plainly, "It is a matter of indifference to me what you think about my
dress." Aloud she said:

"What have you done with my friends, the Bells?"

"I am afraid, Miss Meadowsweet, that long intercourse with those young
ladies would be too severe a strain on my intellect."

"Captain Bertram, you don't mean what you are saying."

"I do, on my honor. They are too intellectual for me."

"They are not! You are laughing at them."

Beatrice stepped back a pace, and looked at him with a heightened color
coming into her face.

Captain Bertram began to explain. Before he could get in a word she
said, abruptly:

"Pardon me," and flew from his side.

Her movement was so fleet and sudden that he had not realized her
departure before the impulsive girl was standing by the despised Matty,
talking to her in a cheery and affectionate voice, and making fresh
arrangements for the pleasure and satisfaction of all three.

"By Jove, she's a fine creature!" thought the captain. "I don't mind how
much I see of her--but as to the rest of this motley herd, my mother is
quite right in not letting the girls have anything to do with them. I
suppose I put my foot in it bringing them here to-night. Well, that
can't be helped now. I hope Miss Beatrice will soon come back. Her eyes
flashed when I said even a word against those terrible little friends of
hers. I should like her eyes to flash at me again. I suppose she'll soon
return. She promised to be my partner in the next set at tennis. That
girl doesn't care a bit for fine speeches. She won't take a compliment
even when it is offered to her--won't stretch out her hand for it or
touch it. Cool? I should think she is cool. Might have been through two
or three London seasons. What a queer lot surround her! And how unlike
them she is. There's the old mother--I had better go and talk to her.
She's quite as vulgar as the rest, but somehow she doesn't jar on a
man's nerves like those charming Miss Bells. Positively, I should have a
fever if I talked much longer to them. My first love, too! I'm to tell
them about _her_. Oh, yes, that's so likely."

Again the angry flame mounted to Captain Bertram's thin cheek. He
strolled across the grass, and joined his hostess.

"Now I call this a shame!" exclaimed the good lady, "you don't tell me
that you are all by yourself, captai