I never saw anything like it!" exclaimed Jessie with a short laugh, and
a look of resignation.

"I enjoy it _so_ much!" said Kate, pouring out the cream with liberal
hand.

Liffie said nothing, but if the widest extension of her lips, and the
exposing of her bright little teeth from ear to ear, meant anything, it
meant that her sympathies were entirely with Kate.

The captain was helped to pudding in a soup plate, that being relatively
a rather small dessert plate for him. He was about to plunge the
dessert spoon into it, but stopped suddenly and gazed at it. Then he
turned his awful gaze on the small servant who almost shrank before it.

"Liffie, my dear."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Bring me a _table-spoon_, the biggest one you have."

"Yes, sir," she said,--and vanished. Presently she returned with an
enormous gravy spoon.

"Ha! ha!" shouted the captain, with much of his old fire; "that's better
than I had hoped for! Hand it here, Liffie; it'll do."

He seized the weapon, and Liffie uttered an involuntary squeal of
delight as she saw him sweep up nearly the whole of his first helping,
and make one bite of it! He then attempted to smile at Liffie's
expression of joy, but did it awkwardly in the circumstances.

Just as he had finished his little repast, and was tranquilly stirring a
breakfast cup of coffee, the door bell rang.

A minute later Liffie appeared with her mouth and eyes like three round
O's.

"If you please, ma'am, here's Mister and Missis Dalton, as wants to know
if they may come in."

"Mr and Mrs who?" exclaimed both sisters.

"Mister an' Missis Dalton," repeated Liffie.

"Show them in--at once, child. Some ridiculous mistake," said Jessie,
glancing at Kate. "But, stay, Liffie;--you have no objection, captain?"

"None in the least."

Another moment and Ruth appeared blushing in the door-way, with a
handsome young man looming in the background.

"Mr and Mrs Dalton!" said the two sisters with a dazed look as they
sank into two chairs.

"Oh _no_! darling Jessie," cried Ruth, rushing forward and throwing her
arms round her friend; "not--not quite that yet, but--but--engaged. And
we determined that the _very first_ call we made should be to you,
darling."

"Well, now, this _is_ capital! Quite a picture," growled the captain;
"does more good to my digestion than--"

"Come," interrupted Jessie, taking Ruth by the hand. "Come to our
room!"

Regardless of all propriety, the sisters hur