Bee takes after her father, poor man, but the rest of us, we
have no right to know the Bertrams. Now, do look at that young captain.
Why, he's making the little Bells laugh themselves into fits. Dear me,
I'd better go out. These girls don't know manners, and their heads will
be turned by that fine young spark. They are certain to believe any
rubbish he talks to them."
Mrs. Meadowsweet rose with difficulty, stepped out of the open window,
and sailed in her rose-colored satin across the grass.
"Now, what's up?" she said. "Fie, fie, Matty, your laugh is for all the
world like a hen cackling."
"He, he!" exclaimed the younger girls.
"Now, there you are off again, and all three of you this time!"
"It's Captain Bertram, ma'am," began Matty.
"Captain Bertram!" echoed Alice.
"Bertram," sighed Sophy.
"He says," continued Matty, "that we are all alike, and he doesn't know
one from the other, and we are trying to puzzle him. It is such
delicious fun."
"Delicious fun!" said Alice.
"Fun!" gasped Sophy, through her peals of mirth.
"Now," continued Alice, "he shall begin again. He shall go through his
catechism. Here we three stand in a row. Which is Matty, which is Alice,
which is Sophy?"
Captain Bertram pulled his mustache, swept his dark eyes over the little
eager palpitating group, and in a languid tone pronounced the wrong one
to be Matty.
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