Martha, I shouldn't
be one bit surprised if that young jackanapes of a brother fell in love
with our Bee."

"He won't get her for his pains," retorted Mrs. Butler. "Those who don't
pay their way won't touch Beatrice Meadowsweet's fortune. But, there,
I'm sick of the subject. Let's talk of something else. Isn't that Mrs.
Gorman Stanley coming down the street? Open the window and call out to
her, Maria. Ask her if she wants me to send her round one pound of
butter, or two from the farm?"

CHAPTER VII.

REPLY FOR US, KATE.

Beatrice Meadowsweet and the Bertrams spent a delightful day together.
The Bertrams frankly owned their inability to manage a boat. They
welcomed her timely assistance, and thanked her for offering it, and
then the young folk laughed and joked together, the Bertrams secretly
finding Beatrice all the more interesting and fascinating because they
knew that their mother would not quite approve of their being found in
her society.

Beatrice told them about the harbor, took Kate into her boat, instructed
Loftus how to manage his sail, and showed him the difference between
rowing on a river and on the sea. Finally, she frankly accepted their
suggestion that she should join their impromptu picnic. They landed on
the green banks of that part of the coast which contained the ruins of
an ancient Danish fort. There they kindled a fire, boiled a kettle of
water, made tea, enjoyed bread-and-butter, cold chicken and
strawberries, and had an exceedingly festive time.

When the meal was over Bertram asked Miss Meadowsweet to show him over
the fort. She complied at once, in that easy, unconcerned manner which
gave her a certain charm, and which in itself was the perfection of
good-breeding. Mabel was about to follow, but Kate caught hold of her
skirt.

"Help me to wash up," she said.

When the girls were alone, Mabel burst into a peal of laughter.

"Oh, what a time the little mice are having!" she exclaimed. "What a
time! I only wish that nice Beatrice of yours had a couple of brothers
as charming as herself. Then our state would approach perfection."

"May, you oughtn't to talk in that silly fashion. No one hates
leading-strings as I do, and I'm determined that mother shall allow me
to make Miss Meadowsweet my friend. But this meeting seems like taking
advantage of mother's absence; it does really, and although we could not
help ourselves, I am sorry about it."

"Well, I'm not. We have had a del