me you had not time. That is not what I would have expected of
_you_. Sir Kenneth."

Bella had knighted him with the poker the evening before!

"Well, really, I am sorry," said Kenneth in a deprecating tone, "but I'm
sure you will forgive me when I tell you that--"

"I won't forgive you," interrupted Bella pettishly. "You are a false
man. _Nothing_ should have prevented you from walking round by
Simpson's, as you said you would do."

"Indeed!" said Kenneth, smiling, "suppose I had broken my leg, now,
would that not have--"

"No, it wouldn't have been any excuse at all. You would have hopped
there if you had been a good and true man, like the knights of the olden
time. Oh! how I love that olden time, and wish that I had been born in
it."

Captain Bowels was announced at this moment. He was a tall handsome
man, with a heavy dark moustache and a set of brilliant teeth. Bella
instantly put the question to him whether, in the event of his being
interrupted in the fulfilment of a promise to a lady by the accident of
having his leg broken, he would not deem it his duty, as a man of
honour, to _hop_ out the engagement.

The captain expressed his earnest belief that that would be his duty,
and added that if both legs happened to be broken, he would deem it his
duty to walk out the engagement on his hands and knees, always assuming
that the lady to whom the promise was made should be young and
beautiful, and that the engagement did not involve dancing!

From this point Bella and the captain of dragoons cantered off into a
region of small-talk whither it is not necessary that we should follow
them. They were interrupted by the entrance of Colonel Crusty and Miss
Peppy.

The former shook hands with the captain somewhat stiffly, and introduced
him to Miss Peppy.

"Dinner late as usual, Bella," said the colonel, taking out his watch.

"Now, papa, don't begin," cried Bella, running up to her father and
kissing his cheek, "because when you do begin to scold you never stop,
and it takes away your appetite. Dinners were meant to be late--it's
the nature of such meals. No dinner that is ready at the appointed time
_can_ be good; it _must_ be underdone."

The colonel was prevented from replying by the entrance of the footman
with a letter, which he presented to Kenneth.

"No letters for me!" cried Miss Peppy, with a slight look of
disappointment; "but, to be sure, I'm not at home, though, after all,
letters migh