The cackling rose to a shriek.
"You shall pay a forfeit, you bad man," said the real Matty. She shook
her little fat finger at him. "Oh, yes, Mrs. Meadowsweet, he really
shall--he _must_. This really is too sweetly delicious,--fancy his
not knowing me from Alice--I call it ungallant. Now what shall the
forfeit be, Alice and Sophy. Let's put our fingers on our lips and
think."
"He shall tell us," exclaims Alice, "he shall describe at full length
his--"
She looked at her sisters.
"His first battle," prompted Matty.
"No, no, better than that, better than that--" came from Sophy's girlish
lips. "Captain Bertram shall tell us about his--his first love."
It may have been rude, but at this remark Captain Bertram not only
changed color but turned in a very marked way from the Misses Bell, and
devoted himself to his hostess.
He was attacked by a complaint somewhat in vogue in high life--he had a
sudden fit of convenient deafness. He said a few words in a cold voice
to Mrs. Meadowsweet, crushed the little Bells by his icy manner, and
took the first opportunity of finding more congenial society.
An eager game of tennis was going on, and Beatrice, who did not play,
stood by to watch. Northbury was accustomed to Beatrice, and did not
therefore observe, what was very patent to Captain Bertram, that this
girl was as perfectly well-bred as his own sisters.
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