her good graces
was once again to endure the intellectual strain of the Bells' society.
Accordingly when supper was over, and people with one consent, and all,
as it were, moved by a sudden impulse, joined first in a country dance,
then formed into sets for quadrilles, and finally waltzed away to the
old-fashioned sound of Mrs. Meadowsweet's piano, played with vigor by
the good lady herself, Captain Bertram, with a beseeching and
deprecatory glance at Beatrice, who took care not to see it, led out
Miss Matty Bell as his partner.

How much that young lady giggled! How badly she danced--with what
rapture she threw up her round eyes at her partner's dark face, this
chronicle need not record; so _naive_ was she, into such ecstasies
did every word spoken by the captain throw her, that he quite feared for
the result.

"It is awful when a girl falls in love in five minutes!" he mentally
soliloquized. "I wonder if I have satisfied Miss Meadowsweet now? I do
honestly think I have done my duty by Miss Matty Bell."

So he conveyed the gushing young person back to her sisters, and sought
for Beatrice who was once more frank and friendly, but gave him
excellent reasons for not dancing with him.

At this moment Catherine came up and touched her brother. Her cheeks had
a bright color in them, she looked animated and happy.

"Loftus, it is close on twelve o'clock. We must go home. Look at Mabel,"
she added, seeing her brother hesitate, "she is frightfully sleepy.
Mother never allows her to be up so late. We have had a happy evening,"
continued Catherine, looking full into Miss Meadowsweet's face, "and we
are very much obliged to you. Now I must go and say good-night to your
mother."

She tripped away, and Beatrice looked after her with affectionate eyes.

"It is unkind of you not to give me one dance," said the captain.

She had forgotten his presence.

"It is not unkind," she said. "The dancing is altogether an impromptu
affair, and I had to attend to my guests. I was talking to your sister,
Catherine, who did not care to dance."

"Very ungenerous to me," pursued the captain. "A poor return for all my
efforts to please you."

"Your efforts--pray, what efforts?"

"Did you not observe me with your friend, Miss Matty Bell? I assure you
she and I are now excellent friends."

"I do not suppose in my mother's house you would be anything else,
Captain Bertram."

Her tone irritated the captain. His manner changed.

"Do yo