no doubt she had a very real regard for them,
Loftus Bertram was as the apple of her eye. She adored this young man,
she was blind to his faults, and she saw his virtues through magnifying
glasses.

Loftus could always talk his mother into the best of humors. He was not
devoid of tact, and he knew exactly how to manage her, so as to bring
her round to his wishes. Having two ends in view to-night he was more
than usually fascinating. He wanted money to relieve a pressing
embarrassment, and he also wished to cultivate his acquaintance with
Beatrice Meadowsweet. He was not absolutely in love with Beatrice, but
her cool indifference to all his fascinations piqued him. He thought it
would be pleasant to see more of her, delightful to make a conquest of
her. He was not the sort of man to thwart his own inclinations. Beatrice
had contrived to make Northbury interesting to him, and he thought he
could easily manage to get leave to visit it soon again.

That evening, therefore, Mrs. Bertram not only found herself arranging
to put her hand to a bill, payable at the end of six months, for her
son's benefit, but further, quite complacently agreeing to call the very
next day on Mrs. Meadowsweet, the wife of the ex-shopkeeper.

Hence that visit which had aroused the jealous feelings not only of Mrs.
Morris, of Mrs, Butler and Miss Peters, but more or less of the whole
society of Northbury.

CHAPTER XI.

SOMEBODY ADMIRED SOMEBODY.

"Then, if that's the case," said Mrs. Bell, "if that's really and truly
the case, and no mistake about it, Matty must have some new frocks made
up for her at once. I have no idea of a child of mine looking shabby or
behind any one else, but you must tell me truly, Alice, if he really was
attentive. Bless you, child, you know what I mean. Was there any
hand-squeezing, and was he always and forever making an excuse to have a
look at her. No one could have been more genteel than your father during
courtship, but the way his eyes did follow me wherever I turned, over
and over put me to the blush."

"Don't say anything to Matty," responded Alice Bell. "She'll be sure to
giggle awfully when next they meet, if you do. She can't keep anything
in, and she owned to Sophy and me that he had got her heart. Well, yes,
I suppose he was particular with her. He danced with her, and he looked
at her, only, I do think it was _she_ squeezed _his_ hand."

"Oh, fie, Alice, to say such things of your sister. Wel