e her
captain.

She had quite worries enough of her own, poor woman, and not the least
of them, in the eyes of the girls, was the fresh mania she took for
saving. Meals had never been too plentiful at Rosendale. Now, the only
remark that could be made in their favor was that they satisfied hunger.
Healthy girls will eat any wholesome food, and when Loftus was not at
home, Catherine and Mabel Bertram made their breakfast off porridge.

Mabel ate hungrily, and grumbled not a little. Catherine was also
hungry, but she did not grumble. She was never one to care greatly for
the luxuries of life, and all her thoughts now were taken up watching
her mother. The effect of her mother's sudden confidence in her, the
effect of the trouble which had undoubtedly come to her mother had
altogether an extraordinary influence over Catherine. She ceased to be a
wild and reckless tom-boy, she ceased to defy her mother in small
matters; her character seemed to gain strength, and her face, always
strong in its expression and giving many indications of latent power of
character, looked now more serious than gay, more sweet and thoughtful
than fastidious and discontented.

Catherine had plenty of tact, and she watched her mother without
appearing to watch her. She was loyal, too, in heart and soul, and never
even hinted to others of the confidence reposed in her.

It was a lovely summer's morning. Catherine and Mabel were up early;
they were picking raspberries to add to the meagre provisions for
breakfast. It was always difficult to manage a pleasant breakfast hour
when Loftus was at home. Mrs. Bertram used to flush up painfully when
Loftus objected to the viands placed before him, and Catherine was most
anxious to spare her mother by satisfying the fastidious tastes of her
brother.

"Why should Loftus have all the raspberries?" angrily queried Mabel. "I
should like some myself, and so would you, Kate. Why should Loftus have
everything?"

"Nonsense, May, he's not going to have everything. This plate of special
beauties is for mother."

"Well, that's quite right. Loftus and you and I can divide the rest."

"May, I'm going to whisper a secret to you. Now, don't let it out, for
the lords of creation would be so angry if they knew. But I do think in
little things girls are much greater than men. Now what girl who is
worth anything cares whether she eats a few raspberries or not. While as
to the men--I consider them nothing but crybabies